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Archives of Old Kudos and Whiners
 


BigPineKey.com

In order to save computer space we delete all pictures after six months.

 September 2008

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Tuesday September 30, 2008

[Bailout] Imagine if you took your pay check down to the bookies each month and put it all on the 2.15 pm at Aqueduct Racetrack. Imagine, too, that you were lucky enough to win - not just occasionally, but every month for several years.

With your income soaring, you might start to behave as if you had secured a permanent pay rise. You would want to reward yourself with treats and bonuses to celebrate your good judgment. You might start to bet on horses with longer odds. After a while, you would probably cease describing it as gambling and start believing you had invented a new paradigm that others were simply too stupid to notice.

 Now, imagine the moment this dream turned sour, the day you started losing not just the monthly winnings but your underlying source of income too. Imagine the humiliation you might feel as the secret of your immense wealth vanishes before your eyes.

 Imagine demanding that your less fortunate friends and neighbors bail you out by giving you some of their pay check instead.

This week there have been posts about an "Obama Truth Squad" in Missouri.  The allegations of the poster didn't smell right.  They didn't ring true.  How could Obama use law enforcement officials to "intimidate" opponents?  Who are these opponents?  Who would be so misinformed as to call Obama a Nazi?  I decided to investigate.

It turns out the poster is repeating lies.  The poster is being used as a propaganda tool (fool?) by the bizarre nuts on right wing radio.  The truth is this:  A group of Democrats in Missouri, on their own, formed a committee to provide correct answers to the lies that right wing haters were spreading about Barack Obama throughout the state.  When a lie popped up--on the internet, in a small town newspaper, or wherever--this group makes it a point to publish the truth.  They run ads, write letters, and generally exercise their right of free speech.

If a hate group claimed Obama wouldn't say the pledge of allegiance, the volunteers published the truth.  If a G. Gordon Liddy follower claimed Obama was a Muslim agent, the Missouri volunteers published a rebuttal.  When the right wingers claim Obama will take their guns or raise their taxes, the volunteers rebut it with the truth.

Who are the members of the "Make-them-tell-the-truth squad?"  They are Democrats obviously, all volunteers, on their own time, and they include county and city prosecuting attorneys as well as a county sheriff and a police officer.  Their mission is to stop the right wing  from spreading lies.  In typical Karl Rovian fashion, the right wingers are trying to silence the truth squad and limit their right of free speech.  How are they doing it?  By accusing those who tell the truth of intimidating those who want to spread lies.

Voters in every state should remain vigilant.  Let there be no "swift boating" this year.  Check the facts.

Do you remember the movie A Few Good Men?  Our Democrat friends are like Kaffee. In the film they’d blame the Republicans for the Freddie and Fannie situation and they’d holler, “I want the truth!” Then Jack Nicholson, as  Col. Jessep would shout, “You can’t handle the truth!”  The truth is that the Democrats are the cause of the current problem.  One prime factor is the refusal of Congress to adopt several Republican efforts to reform F/F.

On May 25, 2006  John McCain forecast our current Fannie and Freddie debacle, he tried to pass legislation that would have prevented it. On the floor of the Senate he said,  “I co-sponsor the Federal Housing Regulatory Reform Act of 2005 to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.”  The Democrat Congressional majority opposition killed the bill. Senators Dodd, Obama, and Kerry led the forces that killed the bill.

Can you handle the truth?

I have heard the claim that Tegan Slaton would have a conflict with Public Defender cases as a reason that he should not be elected judge.  But, in reality there is no problem with Tegan sitting as a judge in Key West.  There are 3 circuit judges there and only one does criminal.  The judge who does criminal also does civil because there are not enough cases to make him a full time criminal judge.  In fact, when he (Mark Jones) was elected, he had to disqualify himself from half of the criminal cases.  There was no problem then and there is no problem now.  Everyone has conflicts and Mary Vanden Brook is no exception.  She was the Director of the Guardian ad Litem program and she may not be able to hear family law cases.

The truth is that there are always conflicts between Judges and these are worked out by the courts.  In fact, there are several counties where Judges are married to Public Defenders and any conflicts that may exist are always worked out.

Truth be told, there are other conflicts that can be looked at in Monroe County.  But to bring those conflicts out would make me look petty.

To me, the fact that Mary Vanden Brook considers this to be the only reason to elect her instead of Tegan makes me believe that Tegan is the better candidate of the two.  If there were any other reasons, they would be at the heart of her campaign instead of the conflict issue.

If you will indulge me for a few more sentences, these are the reasons I support Tegan over Mary:  1) Tegan has been a practicing attorney for the entire time he has lived in the Keys; 2) Tegan has acted as a traffic magistrate for the entire Keys, which is pretty darn close to acting as a Judge already; 3) Tegan has the support of most of the Monroe County Bar’s practicing attorneys; 4) in forums, Tegan has consistently stayed above the fray and has emphasized his qualifications as opposed to attacking his opponents; 5) Tegan has worked as the enforcement lawyer in many, many child support cases, working hard to keep “deadbeat” dads from paying child support; and 6) Tegan has been involved in many of Monroe County’s public service agencies, including the Key West Sunrise Rotary, Wesley House, Hospice/VNA, MARC House and the US Navy League.

I hope that I have alleviated some of your concerns.

Tegan Slaton may have no conflict, but do you really want a judge who has to recuse himself from 40% of the cases?  That's the number Tegan himself quoted. Who are we going to have to pay to hear those cases? Do we want to hire someone who is only sixty percent effective? Should we place an additional forty percent workload on another judge to here Tegan’s recused cases?

That Sloan Bashinsky is angry is unfortunate; he is running for public office and reacts badly to being questioned. Let's remind our perennial candidate that my original post questioned the suitability of the two leading candidates for Sheriff. I did not mention Sandy Downs because her unsuitability is manifest. She is a citizen with a chip on her shoulder and is peaceably assembling to petition her government, which is her right but does not make her likely to be a good Sheriff, which is why I won't vote for her. I am truly stuck when it comes to voting for Sheriff. I guess I'm going to vote for the local Drug Czar lacking any better options.

Anonymity is necessary for those of us who need a job to live in the Keys. Anyone, of any political opinion, who works, understands that in a community  where at any time any of us can find ourselves beholden to someone we may have upset. Bashinsky doesn't understand that because he doesn't need a job and is unsympathetic to those of us that do need to work to earn our daily bread. As far as I'm concerned that's another reason he is totally unsuited for public office. Quite aside from the dreams nonsense. 

[Hair-A-Cane Fundraiser] For our local Red Cross: Sunday, October 5 from 10 am - 2 pm at Bayview Park in Key West (Jose Marti & Truman Ave.) Professional haircuts by the experts at Salon Santiago for a $20 suggested donation.  Sistema Santiago products available for purchase Manicure specials offered by Stock Island Fades & Spa. Food and fun provided by student groups and others. We appreciate support from Grand Key Resort and Lower Keys Plumbing. For more information on this event, call the Red Cross office at 305-296-4033

[Recession] John McCain has stated that "Obama's policies would deepen the recession". How can that be? Many republicans voters on here go to great lengths to point out there is no recession and they state facts to prove it. I guess they should start to realize that John McCain would be in over his head as President. He’s a great man whose time has simply passed. I guess the republicans on here should ask John the question "What recession, John?"

[Sonny McCoy Sexual Harassment Trial, Key West Florida--Day One] Complete opposite version of events that occurred from Jan’05 to Apr '05 were presented by principals in the Charles “Sonny” McCoy sexual harassment case.  No surprises there.  McCoy (via videotape) was alternately chuckling and sputtering through testimony and insisted that he only told travel stories that Bruno wanted to hear.  Bruno, often emotional, charged that not only did she not solicit the sexually explicit stories that McCoy told over and over in cycles, but reminded him repeatedly that she’d heard that one before.

Although attorneys for the plaintiff claim that Mc Coy, after first meeting Bruno said “she’s pretty enough”, McCoy said he recalls thinking she was presentable and very neat. He further disputed Bruno’s account of any sexual content in his stories. McCoy asserted repeatedly that she liked to hear about his travels.  Often he said he couldn’t remember specifics of conversations.  He also offered that he had scripted a letter of apology to Bruno but was advised not to send it.

Mr. Amlong Esq then called Celeste Bruno who after giving her bio, presented the most dramatic testimony of the day, recounting some often salacious retelling of Sonny’s stories.  Apparently Mr. McCoy’s office was decorated with memorabilia from his travels.  He would happen on one and then tell Bruno that attached sexual story. Bruno said the sex parts were only for her.  Other guests just got the travel info.  And it wasn’t just once. Over and over again. 

Bruno also said that Mc Coy would play mind games with her when he would talk to her “like you would talk to a dog”.  And asking for meanings of words and changes needed in a document just to get her upset so he could say “You’re so cute when you’re upset.”  She charges that he also commented on her butt, calling it cute and asked her what color underwear she was wearing.

When asked questions that she thought were inappropriate, Bruno said she repeatedly complained to McCoy.  When Amlong asked why she just did not leave, she said she needed the job to pay for her home in Key West.  She and her husband wanted to make their life here. She also feared retaliation.

The most emotional testimony of the day came when Bruno read the anonymous letter that was connected to her predecessor in the executive assistant job, Kathy Peters.  The letter outlined the feelings of hopelessness and fear that Bruno eventually felt.

Through questioning, Amlong implied that the then County Attorney, John Collins and McCoy conspired to erase Peter’s claim of sexual harassment by intimidation.

When Bruno finally did walk out of McCoy’s office for the last time, she knew it was her only option.  No one in County government was surprised that she left.  Assorted Comments From Monroe County Employees given in evidence: “I am surprised you lasted as long as you did”. Tom Willi, past County Administrator, “Was it hands or words?” Debbie Fredricks, Deputy County Administrator,  “You know what they call Sonny don’t you?  Teflon Sonny.” Commissioner Dixie Spehar,

There was a long mysterious side bar where matters of “fear for physical safety” were discussed.  The upshot was that Bruno was only asked “Did you fear for your physical safety”.  “Yes”, she answered softly.


[Water Keys Deux] How come there are two different groups of islands called Water Keys in the back country? It’s easy enough to get lost out there without having islands named the same. They are even in the same area of the keys to confuse us even more.

[Bailout] The House did not pass the bailout. The Democrats have the majority vote, why did they not pass it? Could it be it is too close to the election, could it be some of the good old boys are getting worried about their job?  Why did the Democrats blame it all on McCain? There was no plan. Hello!

[Truth Police] This Presidential campaign is rife with the sowing of smears, half truths, and lies on the part of both sides. Truth squads are nothing new; they have been a part of political discourse since there has been political discourse. Historically they are party functionaries or journalists who purport to be non partisan. This new so called “Truth Squad” on the part of Obama’s campaign is terrifying in its implications, structure, and announced purpose. It raises chilling visions as to what an Obama Presidency  portends. 

The “Truth Squads” as set in place by the Obama campaign in Missouri are made up of local law enforcement and prosecutorial public employees who say that they will decided what political ads, mailings, and dialog are untrue.  In interviews this morning these “Truth Squad” law enforcement public employees said that they will institute investigations and prosecutions of those persons who are responsible for political dialog that they stamp as false.  Friends, that is simply scary as hell, It’s incredible that there is not a deafening outcry about this on the part of major media. Do you think that this group of Obamists will act against an Obama partisan who publishes that Governor Sara Palin is a right wing religious lunatic who is the pay of big oil? Or will they persecute a McCain supporter who claims that Obama is a closet Muslim who intendeds to turn the country into a socialist/Muslim society that embraces  Sharia law?  Today’s Key West Paper had 3 letters to the editor; two ripped Sarah Palin, one made scurrilous and untrue claims about her religious beliefs, the other was simple (I do mean simple) satire.  When the “Truth Squad” movement (Obama’s or McCain’s) gets to Monroe, do you believe the detectives of the Monroe Country Sherriff should pay that lying letter writer a visit? I don’t.  Please folks, reach beyond this slice of the blogosphere and flood the local papers Letters to the Editor section with your views.  It is your rights that you’re protecting, and the liberal progressive local press should be convinced that there are other voices are to be heard.

[Bailout] Why don’t they just refinance all the loans or put the loan's for sale on the open market? Why should we borrow the money for the bailout form China?

[Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24 Band Cruise] Wednesday is an important date for our 2nd Annual Mile Marker 24 Cruise!   On Wednesday October 1st, we need to give some cabins back to Carnival Cruise Lines for their inventory.   Any cabins already booked that are under your deposit or your full payment are guaranteed at our group rate, but any cabins that are not under payment by Wednesday will go back to the cruise line. After that date, we may still be able to add to the group, but it would be subject to cabin availability and whatever the current (higher) rates are.  

So get on the phone, and call today. Don’t lose out on this opportunity to save money and guarantee your spot.  The deposit that is required is $270 per person.  That deposit will guarantee the rate, and if you change your mind, the deposit, minus a $20 booking fee, is refundable up until the final payment date (about Dec. 1).   

If you were on our first annual cruise- you know what a great time we had!   Our upcoming 2nd Annual Mile Marker 24 Cruise will be a time to remember.   Our group has already reserved more cabins that we had last year – so the party will just be bigger and better.  Don’t miss it.

We will depart Miami on Saturday Feb. 28, 2009 on Carnival's Liberty for a seven day cruise. Tropical ports of call include Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios Jamaica.

Our group will have one private cocktail party (free cocktails and appetizers) and a second private cocktail party with a private performance by Howard and the band.   The band will also perform for everyone on the ship for one public performance.   

Everyone in our group will get a goody bag!  That bag will include a lanyard or wristband that will allow you entrance to our private cocktail parties!  It will include a few other goodies too, so don’t procrastinate – book today!

To book, call our travel agent, Jo Downs, at 218-532-2775 or 888-532-2775.   Jo can also be reached at cormoranttravel@loretel.net






Can I get a portable GPS that has both marine charts and land maps? It would save me a lot of trouble if I could only maintain one unit.

[Heather] I see they're still beating up on poor Heather, using the patently ridiculous "she discriminates" claim..  I  am really getting tired of reading postings from homophobic people.  Editor, I know you can't censor your posters, but couldn't you just note "Moron Alert" at the top so we can scroll down faster?  By the way, I'm a straight female and even I can figure out why Pearls doesn't want men on the premises:  These women sitting around the pool might prefer not to be ogled by the kind of mouth breathing dull normals that are so bothered by her exclusionary policy. If I were a lesbian on vacation in Key West, the last thing I'd want to see are a bunch of slavering, booze-soaked, sniggering yabobs with their fart joke t-shirts and backwards baseball caps lurking around making the obvious comments. So, you go Heather, and just try to ignore the bigots - you're way better than they are.





Bush placed another feather in his cap yesterday with the biggest drop in value (over one trillion dollars) in the stock market's history!

[Perception] I counted 13 and no gorilla Video



[Sloan] Somewhere a village looks for a missing resident. Sloan call home.
[Bailout] This problem was caused by the implicit guarantee by the government to the banking industry. The government alone is at fault.

[Florida Keys National Park] Having the Keys designated as a National Park, in my opinion, is a very, very bad idea. Just look at the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore as two good examples of waterfront National Parks.

According to the charters of the parks, they were established to preserve and protect the resources for future generations. I agree wholeheartedly with the goal of preservation, it's just the application has run amok.

With National Park status, the environmentalists, The Audubon Society and The Defenders of Wildlife, would put a strangle hold on life in the Keys. No new infrastructure projects, like repairing roads and bridges, without environmental impact studies. You will find there will be new endangered species of plants and animals that never existed before, but now have to be preserved and protected. You will find that everything you do, the sounds from your cars and roads, to your lights at night, all have environmental and wildlife impacts that will have to be studied and then will be subject to restriction and regulation.

Repairing that bridge, that you depend on for hurricane evacuations, will now cost more and will be delayed into oblivion, while everyone fights it out. Try googling the Bonner Bridge across the Oregon Inlet, the only evacuation route off Hatteras Island. It carries a federal rating of 2, on a scale of 100. The I-35W Mississippi River bridge that collapsed last summer in Minneapolis had a rating of 53. Because the 2-mile long Bonner bridge is situated in such an environmentally sensitive area, it will cost over a billion dollars to repair (yes that's a billion, not a typo, they have been fighting over it for 10 years and there is no future date to start the repairs or rebuild). By the way, the I-35W Mississippi River bridge has been repaired and reopened 1 year later at a cost of $235 million.

The entire length of the Keys are an environmentally sensitive area, we all know and understand it's beauty and it's primarily why we choose to live here. And I hope everyone that reads this respects and cares for this great treasure as much as I do. Moving to a National Park status, will give environmental groups all the tools and laws they need, written in there favor, to change life in the Keys forever.

You will have to judge for yourself whether that's the type of change you want.




[Night Sky] Great website for viewing sky at night info. SPACE.com -- NightSky

The Wall Street bailout is only the beginning of the end for the so-called "free market".  Now the European banks are in tumble mode.  The global masters of finance have got it all under control though.  Yeah, right.  If anyone believes that then I'll give you a low-interest, sub-prime mortgage loan so you can buy the 7 Mile Bridge.  How does that sound? 

As long as the sheeple (Americanus Boobus) refuse to educate themselves beyond the scope of the Wall Street owned and controlled media and understand the reality of the non-governmental Federal Reserve, and its power and place in the true free market, then our collective ignorance and docility in the face of this humongous scandal will only continue. More and more the middle-class is surely de-volving into the working-poor class.  Damn the thieving scoundrels in global banking and the U.S. Federal Regime!

Our history books record that real Americans once put musket balls in the foreheads of redcoats for a hell-of-a-lot less than this crap. 

[Bailout] Thinking about it, as with all bills passed by Congress, what could be hidden inside this 700 billion, confetti drop?  If it is to really offset the loses to the mortgage companies and banks, then does it pay for the terminally incompetent credit borrowers too?  If so, who the hell do the big shots think they are giving my hard earned money away to? Can I sue the Fed? No? Why? Oh, they made it a law We the People can't sue our maintenance department, huh? Now about the one trillion for defense? Defense against who?

"When your conduct fractures the public trust, it's misconduct." Lloyd Miller (attorney, Anchorage Alaska).  Words just as true at the other end of the country.



[Political Boxing Analogy] The poster says McCain is dull witted and slow. But Obama Ali "always winning in the end" Well Ali is in the end, and his brain is mush and so slow he can't hardly walk. He drools and wets his pants. That's an analogy?

[McCain/Palin] They have two shots at running this country: little and none.

[Palin] Yesterday an editorial in the Washington Post called for Palin to drop out of the race.
[School Superintendent] The following are excerpts are from a recent E-Mail I received from the Acevedo campaign. I did some research and I found out some interesting things about Mr Acevedo's defense he has chosen to send out. I attempted to answer Mr. Acevedo's challenges to his opponent's criticisms with what I have found.
RA: My opponent says I hired my wife and gave her a large supplement/bonus:
Me: The largest supplement in the school districts history to be accurate!
RA: My opponent says we do not have a balanced budget and we are spending down our fund balance:
Me: It's true you spent over 8 million dollars of the fund to cover over expenditures in each of your yearly budgets. You over spent.
RA: My opponent says I have increased debt: To the tune of 112 million dollars.
Me: You over-built the new schools.
RA: My opponent says we are not #1 and we have not made academic progress.
Me: Even the newspapers reported that you made the A grade up. Actually the district is number 11 in Florida, a state that is 48 out of 50 in rank nationally. The academic progress is commendable but you act like it was almost an impossible feat. The progress was average across the state and poor according to federal standards.
RA: My opponent says that our students are below state and national averages on college entrance exams.
Me: More made up facts and figures spun out your way. Florida is still ranked 48 out of 50 nationally. You can't even apply these score at the federal level because the district would be between an F and D school. F for flunking and is D for disappointing; just like your made up A grade school ranking system.
RA: My opponent claims that our graduation rate is not among the top in the state.
Me: Okay you may be wrong; you may be right; who knows? It is well documented that Florida's graduation rates are the most manipulated in the educational world. I will give you this so at least you will have something to say on your soap box. You are not a responsible Superintendant. You have four years of financial bungling and nonsense. Your huge administration is proof of your empire building with tax payer moneys. $228 million dollars is all tax payer money. No matter if it comes from the feds, state, or local taxes.
You say your experience is "Now" alluding to the fact that your opponent is behind the times. Wow that is cheap. How about a responsible learned and honest view of what is really happening. I'm voting for the Opponent. At least he has an honest track record.  ~pissedofftaxpayer@rock.com

Idiot with a 4WD pickup truck. Video

Idiot with a motorcycle. Video

Idiot with an anchor. Video

[National park] That would be just wonderful, they will kick out every one that wasn't here before a magical date. Like they did when they took over the Big Cypress. Maybe they will do like they did to the fishing village of Flamingo in 1947 when the park service took possession of the Everglades. Those pesky people did not want to leave their homes so the park service waited until the men were out fishing. Then they came in, rounded up the women and children at gun point and burned the town to the ground.

We need another layer of bureaucracy like we need a hole in the head. We are already dominated by another branch of the Dept. of the Interior, the U.S. Fish & wildlife Service. How many Gov't agencies do we have controlling the land and water here already? If they can't do it, how can another?




[Chinese Art] Inspiration for Fantasy Fest chinese_art

[Bailout] It isn't about Wall Street. The House didn't pass the bill. Should we be happy? I think about my neighbors who are on the brink with their mortgage. This bill would have given them a chance to salvage their home, a solid possibility, now gone if this bill isn't resurrected. It isn't about Main St vs Wall St. It's about our neighbors or a small business, and that's what out economy is about, here on Big Pine. Today, there are little if no loan opportunities for them out there. What about the many of my friends who have squirreled away a few bucks in a 401K or retirement account? What about them? This isn't about Wall St. It's about our neighbors, our friends, the folks that make us want to live here. The rich folks lost a few million, but still have many more millions. Ordinarily I don't believe in government bailouts; however these are not ordinary times. This is not an easy moment.  I will go to sleep tonight uneasy, not about me, about my friends. 





[Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman] This old Viet Nam vet stopped, paused and thanked God for Ed Freeman and all the others like him. Fly on pilot.

[Tegan Slaton v. Mary Vanden Brook] Both candidates for the judge's race have conflicts and that is normal in a small community.  What worries me is that the Circuit Judges hear Family Court cases and preside over felony cases in Criminal Court and have jurisdiction over civil cases .  Mary Vanden Brook will have a conflict with the Guardian ad Litem program.  She last worked as an attorney for that program, she was the director of the program, her office supervised the program until a few years ago, she was probably responsible for the hiring of the current director of the program, and is a personal friend of the director and the attorney for that program.  The Guardian ad Litem program is involved in divorce, domestic violence, custody and support, adoption, families in need of services,  paternity, juvenile delinquency, and parental rights cases, so there will be a definite conflict of interest in so many of these cases.  That is the largest part of what Judge Taylor presided over.  I also don't see where she has any criminal felony or civil case experience.  He has a conflict and she has a conflict. Now let's debate qualifications.



[Puzzle] This is my favorite because everything just fell in place. dog house puzzle

[Bailout] Don't tell me no one saw this one coming and that no one is at fault. This article was published on September 30, 1999, nine years ago.

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets — including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits. ''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''



[Soup Kitchen] I'd often heard while working at CSC(?) that when the market went south, soup traveled north. Soup would be all that people would soon be able to afford and investors took advantage of the situation.

Voter fraud will run rampant this election thanks to millions of illegals & many groups like Acorn registering "new" voters. Acorn's (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) political action committee, endorses Obama. They allegedly have committed voter fraud in NC, MI, MO, NM & CO. Guess who one of the founders was?  
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/700310.html.

Search these ties to: Obama + Acorn, Obama + Public Allies, Obama + Khalid al-Mansour. Who would have guessed?

[Sexual Harassment and Angels] Yesterday, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore dismissed the Pro Se Petition for Amicus Curiae Intervention I filed in the Celeste Bruno vs. Monroe County case. I expected Judge Moore to dismiss the Petition, but perhaps what is in it will affect him as he presides over the trial. I don’t think I did him any great favor. An innocent before he read the Petition, Judge Moore is an innocent no more. He now is responsible not only to the parties and the Federal Judiciary for how he handles this case, but also to God. It won’t surprise me if the case now takes some interesting and perhaps unexpected twists and turns. Perhaps the meaning of “poltergeisting” and “ghost-busting” will be stretched to new and electrifying heights. If you wish to see the Petition, it is posted to the Amicus Curiae menu page of goodrmorningfloridakeys.com and goodmorningkeywest.com.

Related, I had a couple of talks yesterday with Todd German, who sits on Key West Citizen’s Editorial Board. I wrote yesterday about the Editorial Board’s unanimous endorsement of Heather Carruthers in the District 3 county commission race. I wrote that the Board dismissed me because I say I get instruction in my dreams and the Board felt we need a more reality-based candidate. I wrote that I indeed told the Board that I get instruction in my dreams — at the very end of the half-hour interview I told four them that. Four men. The other five Board members, including Todd, were not there. I was told by one of the four, Tom Tuell, Editor of the Citizen, that everything was being taped-recorded and the missing Board members would listen to the tape.

Todd told me yesterday that did not listen to the tape, even though he had told me he was going to listen to it. Nor, I wager, did the other missing Directors hear the tape. For if they had, they would have heard just how much reality I shoved down the Board’s throats during our half-hour together. As for Todd, I was not surprised that he did not listen to the tape, because he had told me on other occasions that he was going to do something, that he did his homework, but then he did not do it. He had also told me he was supporting Heather, and I had fully expected him to vote for her during the Editorial Board’s deliberations. It was something else that he told me yesterday that I had not expected.

Todd said he was present when the entire Editorial Board discussed the District 3 candidates. He said there was no mention of my getting instructions from dreams. He said he told them how important I had been to the race, that I had brought a lot of important stuff to the table. When I asked if he had read the Editorial, he said he had not. I suggested that he read it, and that he then take Board to task, in public. I said he would do that if he was my friend and if he was committed to the truth. For whoever wrote that the Board did not want a candidate who says he gets information in dreams knew he was not speaking for the entire Board, because what he wrote had not even been discussed by them.  Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel

Habitat for Humanity's Coconut Closet, an upscale used clothing boutique on Big Pine, is hosting a special pre-season sale and celebration  Thursday, Oct. 2 from 2 - 7 pm and Friday, Oct. 3 from 9 am - 7pm (complimentary wine and cheese served from 4 - 7 pm) and Sat., Oct. 4 from 9 am - 5 pm.  Costume & Party clothes, wigs, shoes, masks; everything you need to prepare for Fantasy Fest, Halloween and the holidays!
 
CoConut Closet is located above the ReStore at MM 30.5 on Big Pine Key. All proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity.  For questions or donations, contact volunteer Jerry Kimmel at 872-3308. Bulletin Board
[Colvard best qualified for superintendent post] As a former educator at the university level, it is apparent to me how important elementary and high school education is in preparing our young students for higher education and/or careers and life in our global world. That is why I am so glad that Fred Colvard is running for Monroe County Superintendent of Schools, because he has all the background, credentials and preparation to lead our schools.

Fred's resume shows that he has worn all the qualifying hats: superintendent, deputy superintendent, high school principal, high school teacher, coach, athletic director, personnel director, college adjunct teacher as well as advanced degrees in education. A study of his Web site will confirm his credentials and philosophy of education.

Fred is dedicated to wise management of the taxpayers' dollars for education. He is alarmed about the dramatic depletion of the reserve fund, mounting debt and runaway spending. Fred offers sound fiscal responsibility to assure our teachers' salaries are sustained and every other dollar put into the classroom. He also is concerned that all categories of school testing and ratings be disclosed to the parents, students and the public.

The bail out bill bombed yesterday and so did the price of gas.  Maybe not bailing out the banks is good for the middle man. (I could fill up for under $60 at Tom Thumb, what a bargain!)   Make the banks freeze all the bad debit, rewrite the mortgages to a fixed rate 30 year loan with a reasonable interest rate of, say, 5.5% and allow the people to keep their homes and pay their mortgages. No more interest only, balloons, or ARMs--just straight mortgages.  I brought an investment home the week before the market went bust.  I am still able to rent it out with some out of pocket expense to pay my mortgage and keep my credit clean. What kind of bonus do I get?  Nothing--just what us responsible little people are used to getting.

Don't return any incumbents to office.  Send the message "We're madder then hell and we're not going to take it any more!"  Americans need to be more involved.  I would like to see a middle class workers strike just for one day.  Maybe then the government would sit up and take notice of what we want. Stay tuned to the same bat-time, the same bat-channel. In the continuing saga of "How Capitalism Sucks."

Saturday Night Live does Sarah Palin. SNL_sara_palin

I’ve been watching the Mac vs. PC debate for a few days and feel compelled to comment.  Unlike lots of folks, I’ve had lots of experience with both, typically a PC at work and a Mac for my personal machine.  That being said, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone who has had extensive experiences in both environments choosing a PC.  After eight hours a day in a PC office, it is such a relief for me to get home.

Virtually every innovation we take for granted on personal computers showed up on Macs before PC’s.  Apple has always been at the forefront of cutting edge technology.  (Can you say iPod?)  Microsoft then typically makes a bad copy and incorporates it into their system.  Examples are numerous:  incorporation of the mouse instead of arrow keys; graphic user interface: hotlinks; even "undo".  The Internet itself started as a very Mac-like interface.

In the mid-80’s I was the editor of a trade association magazine.  We had a Hewlett-Packard mainframe that took up a whole climate controlled room to do our day-to-day crunching of information.  We wanted to produce our magazine electronically and our HP consultant labored for months to come up with a way to do it on our high-end (and very expensive) machine.  No go.

By chance I wandered in the local Apple store and found that their basic desktop machine, using over-the-counter software could do it without breaking a sweat.

A true Mac-aholic one said to me that trying to do graphics on a Windows machine was like trying to lace your shoes while wearing mittens.  It’s possible, but only with great difficulty and questionable results.  There really is a reason why nearly every professional graphics company and why nearly every publishing company is Mac based.

Well, you may ask, if they are so great, why are they not the standard rather than PC’s?  Truth is there are two major factors involved:
1. Microsoft won the marketing war.  Bill Gates is nothing if not a great promoter.  An analogous situation is the old Beta/VHS competition for home video cassette recorders.  Beta is gone.  Does this make VHS better?  Not according to professional news organizations, all of which used Beta long after it had disappeared from our homes.
2. Corporate purchasing offices are enamored with price.  They buy what’s cheap, not what’s best and PC’s are indeed cheaper.  When’s the last time you saw a Porsche as a company car?  In most companies, lowest bidder gets the sale.

For heavy duty number crunching, Microsoft does carry the day.  I would submit to you, though, that this is a software issue, not a hardware issue and that it’s driven by the fact that software people focus on the number of machines out there and they write the programs which target the largest number of machines.

Besides, how can anyone take a machine seriously that requires you to click “Start” to shut it off?

[McCain] The Republicans are starting to realize McCain is seen worldwide as just another 4 years of Bush’s policies. At the debates he did nothing but say "more of the same". Obama has them scared, but the truth is that most of America is scared to death of them. We’ve seen the damage they have done to America first hand. It’s going to take decades to repair the damage they’ve done to our great country.
[First TV] In April of nineteen thirty-nine New York’s World Fair was opened to the public in Flushing Meadows, Queens. It was here that television was for the very first time displayed to the masses. On opening day of the fair, April thirtieth, hundreds of Americans saw firsthand the new and exciting device that could show others in action from as far away as the other side of the continent.

Taking advantage of the immense crowds the fair could draw, many American companies took their very latest products, hoping to show off new devices or services that would bring them a great amount of money and advertisement. Among those companies was RCA.

[Picture of the dog on the raft] It was cool, it reminded me of what this site used to be before it became a political forum.




[ABATE] American Bikers Aimed Toward Education is now accepting new members during our chapter meeting this Sunday 11 A.M. October 5th at Sombrero Reef Tiki Bar in Marathon.  We are a motorcycle rights organization that promotes safe riding habits and provides a lobbyist regarding all motorcycle laws without infringing on the rights of others.  Bulletin Board

[Paradise Lost] It never ceases to amaze me. We finally made it to Paradise, then what happens, we have to fight for our lives, our peace and quite, our privacy, our rights as property owners, our political views which are being eroded by unscrupulous money mongers, developers and merchants. I should have moved to Amity, Mass and only had to worry about Jaws!

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Tuesday September 30, 2008

Monday  September 29, 2008

[Florida Keys National Park] I wonder if making this a National Park will make it easier for "Them" to kick everybody out of here when the time comes. Eminent domain.








The snow birds are starting to fly south. I’ve made several sightings over the weekend.

I put Teflon plates on the rails of my boat trailer yesterday. They worked too good. Every time I drove the boat on the trailer the boat would slip off. I had to keep the motor in gear while I tied the bow to the winch. I’m going to have to back the trailer into the water a little less the next time.

Job well done, Bob Peryam did a fine job answering questions and sharing his vision for his sheriffs dept at the meet and greet yesterday at Coconuts. Bob has been living on Big Pine for about 20 years and has spent time in the upper keys and Key West. Bob is the Capt of the Marathon Sheriffs dept and still found time to coach softball and has spent countless hours volunteering his time in our community. Bob is a good man and will make a fine sheriff. If you want a sheriff who understands our wants and needs from the inside out it's Bob Peryam.

That picture of the dog in the swimming pool with the Buds on the float was the coolest!  That would make a great commercial. They should send that into Budweiser.  I loved it. It was something positive for a change to get our minds off all the other crap that's being discussed lately. (Ed: That dog is looking for love. Classified Ads > Pets)






SpaceX launches the first commercial rocket into orbit. http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20080929/Rocket.Launch/
With all the turmoil in the market today and the collapse of Lehman Bros and Acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America this might be some good advice. For all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some big bucks. Watch for these consolidations in later this year:
1.) Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W R. Grace Co. Will merge and become:
Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.
2.) Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become:
Poly, Warner Cracker.
3.) 3M will merge with Goodyear and become:
MMMGood.
4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become:
ZipAudiDoDa .
5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become:
FedUP.
6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become:
Fairwell Honeychild.
7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become:
PouponPants.
8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become:
Knott NOW!
9. Victoria 's Secret and Smith & Wesson will merge under the new name:
TittyTittyBangBang




This is why city folks should not move to the country!

[Greedy Tenants] My sister was telling me about her apartments in Galveston.  The downstairs of one flooded some, so she has to do some repair on that one.  Upstairs is a lady with two grown daughters that have given Cathy problems since they moved in.  The mom would not put her name on the lease, so it is in the two daughter’s names.  They evacuated to the mom’s brother’s house, where ever that is, but were anxious for Cathy to see what the place looked like on her “look and leave” visit.  Cathy told them that they will be very happy to know that everything was just fine and that they will be able to move back with no problem.  That is not what this lady wanted to hear.  She had already contacted FEMA to get money for new furniture and stuff.  She was getting more irritated with Cathy as she talked with her because nothing was wrong with the apartment.  Cathy had to endure several more phone calls from this lady, each one more irate.  She finally told Cathy that the daughter’s no longer had jobs after the storm so they couldn’t pay the rent.  So Cathy said they would have to move out.  Naturally, this lady, whose name isn’t even on the lease, just got more angry and said they couldn’t do that, they had no where to go, no food to eat, etc.  Cathy told them their stuff had to be out by the end of the month if they couldn’t pay the rent.  I would sure hate to have to deal with people like that.

Yesterday’s Key West Citizen Editorial contained a unanimous Editorial Board recommendation of my opponent, Heather Carruthers, in the District 3 County Commission race.

Heather, who not once during any candidate forum, nor on her campaign website, came out against “The Gang of Three,” naming them for what they were and still are.

Heather, who, when recently asked by Richard Grussin on his Sunday morning US 1 Radio Show about corruption on the County Commission, said she was not sure she could use that word to describe some of the goings on with the County Commission.

Heather, who did not speak out against the rigged Cape Air deal, which I tried so hard to explain to the Editorial Board when they interviewed me, hoping the Citizen would write something real about it, instead of the fluff that ended up in a later Editorial.

Heather, who has yet to attack the way the County Commission has handled the lawsuit Celeste Bruno filed only against Monroe County over alleged sexual harassment by Gang of Three member Sonny McCoy.

Heather, whom the Editorial Board praised for her ability and desire to crunch numbers, and for her broad grasp of all issues facing Monroe County, and for her proven dedication to serve all Keys people.

In its endorsement of Heather, the Editorial Board said about me that I had told them, which I did, that I rely on information I receive in dreams. They said we need a county commissioner who is more based in reality. Meaning for them dreams are not based in reality? Meaning for them the dreamers in the Bible were not in touch with reality? Meaning for them God has nothing to do with reality?

One Editorial Board members is a good friend of mine. The Editorial was a hell of a way for me to learn that he doesn’t think I’m in touch enough with reality. Especially after he has praised me for digging into the Celeste Bruno lawsuit and airing out the allegations in her complaint and preparing court papers asking the trial judge to hold Sonny McCoy’s feet to the fire, so that he will not walk away free if the jury returns a verdict for Celeste against the County. My friend knows, because I told him, that dreams forced me to get involved in Celeste’s lawsuit and do all of the stuff he has praised me for doing. Someone from Big Pine Key advised me the other day in an email to keep my friends close and my enemies even closer. Amen.

The “Amicus Curiae” page of goodmorningfloridakeys.com and goodmorningkeywest.com features a copy of what I am going to file today in open court in Celeste Bruno’s lawsuit. As you read it, I hope you will ask yourself why Heather, who got plenty steamed up, as did I, over Sonny making mean sexual remarks in a county commission meeting about Heather’s gay friend, Diane Bureldsen, did not take out after Sonny over what Heather knows in her bones he did far worse to Celeste. The reality is, what Sonny did to Diane cost the County nothing in money terms, but what Sonny did to Celeste could end up costing the County plenty.

Sloan Bashinsky, non-affiliated county commission candidate, District 3  Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel


[I love analogies] Maybe you do, but you may want to pick another sport for you analogy. The greatest fighter who ever lived was Muhammad Ali, remember him? Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. I’m also starting to think McCain has taken one too many shots to the head.

[Bailout] Who was in charge at Fannie/Freddie? Franklin Delano Raines the former chairman and chief executive officer of Fannie Mae who served as White House budget director under President Bill Clinton. Raines made $90 Million while at Fannie Mae. He is a long time Democrat apparatchik. He is an Obama friend and campaign advisor. James A. Johnson, friend of Obama, served as Obama’s lead in the selection process of Biden as VP. He was Chair and CEO of Fannie Mae, and Managing Director of Lehman, he made millions. He is a powerful Democrat in DC, serves on many boards. He remains an Obama campaign advisor. Jamie Gorelick, friend of Obama,  was vice chairman at Fannie Mae, earned millions.  Was an important member of Clintons Justice Dept, Fannie Mae is currently represented by Gorelick’s Law Firm. Gorelick is rumored to be Obama’s first choice as Attorney General if he is elected. It would be easy to continue the list of Who’s Who in screwing up Fannie and Freddie and who make millions doing it, but that’s enough for now.

I find it odd that in the blame game, the republicans are blaming everyone but the Republicans who have been in power for the last seven years. The last seven years of the housing bubble. They were in charge the whole time. Stop over-reaching and trying to blame everyone else. The buck stops with Bush. If he was a real president he’d take the blame. He’s a weasel.

A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition. 

China’s government is comprised mostly of engineers America’s government is comprised mostly of lawyers.

Early in September there was only scant media attention when it was learned that there had been very little sunspot activity for months, and no sunspot activity during the month of August, an incredibly long period.  As of today, there still is no sunspot activity. Just a few media folks have told us that sunspot activity had coincided with a dramatic drop in global temperatures in the past year, enough to wipe out all the global cooling over the last 100 years.  Many are convinced that the drop in world temperatures is a direct result of low sunspot action.  They note that low sunspot activity is suspected in the genesis of several historic catastrophic global cooling events. They cite the “Little Ice Age” that began about 1650.  The current phenomena "is the fastest temperature change in the instrumental record, and it puts us back to where we were in 1930," a respected expert in the field noted. 

If the world does face another mini Ice Age, it could come without warning. Evidence for abrupt climate change is readily found in ice cores taken from Greenland and Antarctica. One of the best known examples of such an event is the Younger Dryas cooling, which occurred about 12,000 years ago. This event began and ended rather abruptly, and for its entire 1000 year duration the North Atlantic region was about 5°C colder.

Could something like this happen again? There’s no way to tell, and because the changes can happen all within one decade—we might not even see it coming. Why doesn’t the mass media keep us informed, can it be that they have some other agenda?

[They Were Soldiers] You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, 11-14-1965. LZ Xray, Vietnam. Your Infantry Unit is outnumbered eight to one, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.
You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see a Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.
Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.
He's coming anyway.
And he drops it in, and sits there in the gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the doctors and nurses.
And, he kept coming back--13 more times--and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died Wednesday, August 20, 2008, at the age of 80, in Boise, Idaho. May God rest his soul.

[Decisions] The Republicans have messed up our country and the economy so why are we giving these same makers of bad decisions $700,000,000,000? They'll only make more bad decisions. They've been proven to be failures and yet they want us to think that they'll start making good decisions. They are fatally flawed and can't change. Do you trust their decision making?








Bush is the lamest lame duck president in history.

[Discrimination] Last Friday proved to be an enlightening day for me.  First, on US1 Radio, I anxiously awaited the interview with District 3 County Commissioner candidate Heather Carruthers.  I have read numerous postings on local blogs that I was uncomfortable with and as a voter I needed more.  The US1 Radio interviews produce extended insights into a candidate’s views but invite additional and uncomfortable questions.  As a voter absorbed with the future of Monroe County, my concerns were elevated to a point that made me phobic.  Not homophobic, just phobic.

Let there be no mistake.  Our county, our state and our country are facing the worst financial crisis in a generation.  How this catastrophe will affect us, as individuals, will not be known for decades.  If a voter questions a candidate’s personal convictions as part of the overall vetting process, it is not without cause.  It is paramount to understanding the foundation from which all elected officials will define justice as the basis for their judgments.

Personally, I have no problem with Ms. Carruthers’ sexual preferences or her owning a “women only” guesthouse. My problem is her company policy of discrimination.  Yes, discrimination. Or, as Ms Carruthers’ tried to defended her policy in her own words  “I found a niche market.”

These are two very dissimilar and powerful words, discrimination and niche.  Comparing her discriminatory guesthouse policy to the Big and Tall Men’s Wear chain is patronizing at best.  Successful businesses adapt their policies to segmented markets and project earnings from each individual market.  They do not discriminate against any class of the population by banning inclusion through illegal policies.

According to an account by a recent female patron of Ms Carruthers’ guesthouse, she was informed that if her husband were to join her at the facility, they would be required to leave.  She was informed politely that “it is the policy of the management” and “there is no need to question their policy decision”.  I have been in business a long time and that does not fit the definition of “niche marketing” by a long shot.  It definitely fits the definition of discrimination.

And the second item that enlightened me is when Tom Tuell, The Citizen editor, requested that students be given lessons in Civics so they could be reminded that we once had a Constitution.  A document that should be required reading for all political candidates -- especially Ms. Carruthers.

Modern Piracy is an $15 billion a year problem.  This is a  link to the International Piracy report page from the IMB Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php

So, who won the submarine races? I couldn't see.

A writer yesterday was outraged that Obama was confident of winning the election and said, "When I am President". Why shouldn’t he be?





[Boxing analogy] I read the analogy to be McCain as Rocky Marciano (he’s as old), dull-witted, slow, but bulldog-like boxer and Obama as Mohammad Ali, smart, bright and circling his opponent and never getting hit—always winning in the end.
[Recycle Bin] How can I get the recycle bin shortcut back on my desktop?
[Iraq]
1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq
6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq
8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq
9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel
10. Amos cried out in Iraq
11 Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq
13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!)
14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the 'writing on the wall' in Iraq
15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq
16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq
17. The wise men were from Iraq
18. Peter preached in Iraq
19. The 'Empire of Man' described in Revelation is called Babylon --which was a city in Iraq
And you have probably seen this one: Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible.
But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq !
However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.
The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris And Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq means country with deep roots. Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. No other nation, except Israel , has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq
And also, This is something to think about: Since America is typically represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages. The following verse is from the Koran, 9:11. For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah;
And there was peace. (note the verse number)




When Actors, Politicians, Bankers and War Lords become honored more so than Farmers, Doctors, Inventors and Scientists, the world is doomed!

After looking at the pictures of George's birthday, I’ve come to the conclusion that 3 of the men and 4 of the women were peeing in the water when the picture was taken.

[Bat Tower Float] Last night was a blast! The Sugarloaf Lodge Tiki Bar rocked. Thanks to all the Terry Cassidy supporters and especially our sponsors Rudy Krause Construction, Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and the Sugarloaf and Big Pine Key Volunteer Fire Departments, who turned out to make this fund raising party a huge success. In case you haven't heard, Terry Cassidy will be having a float this year in the Fantasy Fest parade. The theme is the Bat Tower and the song Terry wrote about it. Ron Baumann was jamming on the harp and was joined for a song or two by Howard Livingston and Dave Herzog from the Mile Marker 24 Band. God, I love living in the Keys.

[McCain] I don't understand it when people say John McCain is the best choice because he is a Veteran. Then why did these same exact people applaud the dragging through the mud of John Kerry? I also noticed John McCain did not wear a flag pin. All of you republicans better start railing against McCain because at a time when America really needs to do whats best for our country he’s supposed to wear the flag pin. I noticed John McCain didnt even have the common courtesy to look Obama in the face. If you cannot talk man to man to someone, chances are are they’re lying. McCain did nothing more then talk about his last 2 decades in office. Obama at least gave us points of direction to the future not a rehashing of the 60s and 70s. In other words, clear as day, McCain said "More of the same". No thanks John your last few years of Bush support have us in the mess we are in.




To speak like Yoda learn.  Herh herh herh. Learn to Talk Like Yoda with the Yoda-Speak Generator

[Obama Nazi Muslim] Thank you for posting my email “Obama Truth Squads”.  It is time for America to see the tactics of intimidation and harassment used by Barack Hussein Obama in his quest to win the Presidency of the United States.  The use of official Law Enforcement officials to intimidate and harass opponents should be of utmost importance and should instill fear in the heart of any American, regardless of race, creed or color.  Not only is Barack Hussein Obama using Law Enforcement in Missouri to intimidate, he is employing lawyers nationwide to keep advertising by the National Rifle Association, National Right to Life Committee and others out of the printed media and off the airwaves.  The followers of Barack Hussein Obama will not allow or tolerate dissenting opinion.  They have used internet Denial of Service attacks against radio and TV stations WGN and WLS in Chicago, Illinois.  They have used legal authorities to keep opposing signage and viewpoints away from Barack Hussein Obama campaign appearances.  Wake Up America, anyone with a sense of history should be aware “Truth Squads” have in the past, led to Re-Education Camps and look to the Jewish population to see what the end result of these types of tactics produced in 1930’s Germany. 

This is strange and otherworldish. Move your curser and she’ll follow it with her blood shot eyes. http://cubo.cc/

Whoever said Carlos Rojas is behind the people not wanting to elect Heather is crazy. I oppose her for one reason only--she discriminates.

Prisoners allowed to order out restaurant food http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnTRE48R08W.html

Sloan was really upset that there was an anonymous post on the anonymous board. I guess that poster must have really been accurate to draw such a vitriolic response from Sloan. I've posted much more critical things about you, Sloan and I never got such personal attention as you lavished on this guy. I feel left out and unappreciated. As for your 'awareness' list here is one for you: Are you aware that people consider you a whack job? Really, they do. You shouldn't be allowed to have sharp objects let alone hold elected office.
 
One last point: My Angels can beat up your Angels.  ~arthur_phrain@hotmail.com

Vista copied it’s file system from Mac and Mac copied it from Unix! As a professional software developer I can assure you that every piece of software now and in the future has already been written. We just copy and paste to get the new stuff they pay us for.




[TV 72 years old] Unless this is some kind of a trick question, I don't think so. Maybe some inventor was working on one 72 years ago, but it certainly wasn't available to the public. I guarantee you nobody that I am aware of even knew what TV was then; and I should know because at that time I was old enough to know.

My techie daughter just explained the photo and video virus thing.  It’s not that the photo or jpg contains a virus.  You are actually downloading the photo onto your computer and the virus or worm gets imbedded (by evil computer thugs) in such a way that the act of downloading (which your browser does) is how the virus gets into your computer.  That’s the best I can explain it.  She’s the techie.  I’m the old mom.





Chinese astronauts are seated in front of the re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou VII spaceship after landing safely in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, September 28, 2008. View the Chinese video. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2008-09/27/content_7067092.htm

[Seen an alligator lately] No I have not. I have seen many iguanas just as big as gators. I wonder why?

[Corporate Headquarters Photo] I'm guessing the editor is female--the lids down.

[Dog Run] While the new Big Pine Key park is quite impressive I think it would be nice to have a section where dogs can run off the leash and interact with other dogs similar to that of Founders Park in Key Largo.

[Mac vs PC]  Here is the difference.  It's not just price.  It's style, too.  A PC belongs in your home not just in an industrial garage. They can be cheap and ugly too.  A MAC looks like a nice piece of furniture.  Go ahead and trash your house with a PC, but a nice looking Sony PC will cost you a fortune too.  We have all heard the sorrows from PC people when they have problems.  A friend of mine reinstalls Windows every 30 days just to avoid problems.  The Mac OS is based on UNIX - which is what drives most of the internet and even our hallowed banking systems - which are up most of the time.  There are not many virus attempts because UNIX is really hard to hack into.  Windows is pretty easy.  And more people own them too.  But that is changing and soon it will not matter what you use.  It will be the internet and whatever you have that can access it.  Probably your phone and flat screen TV will morph into your only computer soon.  So kiss you PC goodbye. Change is good.  Oops, I sound like a democrat!




[The Weather Chanel’s Jim Cantore]  I vote that the unwieldy title "cone of uncertainty" be officially declared the Cantore Cone in all future hurricane coverage.  It’s easy to remember and a classic use of alliteration, and you can find the Cone just by tagging Jim and tracking him with a GPS.

[The Florida Keys National Park] This is the only way to save the Keys from development once and for all. I find it odd that DiGennaro proposed it. That’s my only worry.





[Bailout] The CEOs of the failed institutions have made staggering millions of dollars as salary and bonuses from those institutions. Those CEOs are pals of Obama, some are even heavy hitters on his campaign. 
[Privacy] If you do not want everyone in the world to know that you are going out of town for a while, you would be better served to hire new people, because I know a particular person who will tell everyone your itinerary and list pertinent particulars about your home and its security or lack thereof. This individual has keys to many of our homes, (we changed locks after our file cabinet was explored) is planning on moving out of the country soon, is a gossip-junkie and a money-grabber. It simply cannot keep it's mouth shut while breeching your privacy as you over-pay this person, who does not pay taxes on it and also expects a Christmas bonus. You would be surprised what this "nice" person does and says about you. Set up little traps or a nanny cam and you will see for yourselves the real agenda of this nosy, mouth-running fake who has the keys to our castles. They will be having endless sunny days as they live large on our cash in a third world country.



[Bailout] With our 700 billion dollar bank bail out, I have one question. Do we still get our choice of a toaster or wind up AM/FM weather radio?

McCain, in the debate, was quick to mention the five times he didn’t vote with Bush. That still leaves ninety-five other times he did agreed with Bush.

[Keys National Park] If you want to live in a park move to New York’s Central Park.


[Who would most likely preside over a war]  My guess would be Obama here, McCain there. Stop and think about it: do you respect those who are constantly knocking themselves out to be liked or those who stand by their principles when it counts?

Huge Kudos to the poster who brought Obama Truth Squad to our attention.  It is simply incredible, it's beyond belief.  The implications of using law enforcement to ride herd on political discourse is beyond frightening. It’s true that political campaigns often  stretch the hell out of the truth, but every candidate has an existing remedy in existing legal protocol. The use of cops on the public payroll and of prosecutors on the public payroll to enforce one partisan point of view is a scene yanked from German history circa 1932.  Damn, people wake up.  Take a minute and Google  “Missouri truth squad Obama”, a note of caution, make sure that you’re sitting down. My God.




[Thief 101] All burglars should watch this primer. It'll be a career boost. Video

[The Florida Keys National Park] My first reaction is always positive to adding a new Park, because I have always enjoyed visiting them, but I would like to hear local appraisals of the effects this would have.  How would the people living in the Keys be affected?  Some good info and honest evaluations are needed.




Who do you trust? I trust Pat Paulsen.

Don't worry about Tegan, if elected, he won't take any cases with his wife as the defender, he’ll recuse himself  End of story. No conflict.


If music be the food of love, play on. ~Bill Shakespeare

[High Tides] I was able to go to places yesterday I’d never been able to before because there was so much water in the pond. I almost got into the interior of Howe Key, but not quite. Usually you can’t even get near Howe Key.

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Sunday September 28, 2008
Don’t make the Keys a National Park http://mattsonlaw.blogspot.com:80/



Paul Newman died of cancer.

[Flooding] A new study said the Keys are in more danger of flooding due to rising seas than wind damage, I think. The study also says we should rethink evacuation, I think. The study was confusing, I'm sure.






[Candidate Forums] The Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce will host Candidate Forums three and four for the November 4th General Election. Monday October 13...Bulletin Board

[Park Manager Search] I just heard that they have interviewed people from out of town to run the new park on Big Pine. What's up with that? Don’t we have anyone from around here who can run a park?

Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce October Business Social which is a special multi-business endeavor at the Marshall Building, mile marker 30, Oceanside on Big Pine Key, (next to NAPA) Tuesday, October 14th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Bulletin Board

[The Florida Keys National Park] That’s an idea I’d like to see happen. It would end once and for all development, electricity to No Name Key, building height exemptions, zoning changes and a whole host of other problems the Keys have. It would also get us a lot of money for our sewer problems. I’ve always liked parks and now I might have a chance to live in one.



The 2008 World Submarine Racing Championships off Key West.

[Change] Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.




When you are in love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams.

[Property Rights Lawsuit] Attorney Jim Mattson filed a lawsuit on behalf of 41 property owners who are affected by a recently implemented zoning rule that requires people who own environmentally sensitive land to pay money into a land trust in exchange for permission to develop that land.

Development in unincorporated Monroe County is guided by what is known as the Tier System. The county classifies undeveloped land in three categories, with Tier 1 being the most environmentally sensitive and Tier 3 being the least sensitive and most appropriate for development. The Monroe County Commission approved an amendment to the system this summer, allowing property owners, in essence, to buy the right to develop sensitive land. The owners buy mitigation points, with that money going into a land trust. Land trust funds are earmarked for acquisition of habitat for native vegetation and wildlife.

Thirty-four of Mattson's clients' properties are designated as Tier I, which are essentially not buildable, Mattson said. Seven own a second-tier property -- actually termed Tier 3A by the county. Property owners must spend about $235,000 for 20 points in Tier 1, and $117,500 for 10 points in Tier 3A, just to begin with the same number of points as a Tier 3 landowner starts with, Mattson said. Tier 3 is the least sensitive land, consisting largely of lots in developed subdivisions.

Sal Gutierrez, a County Commission candidate and Mattson client, owns 50 lots he says are impacted by the Tier System. He said that while some people do not want more development in the Keys, the county or the state should pay property owners for the land that can't be developed. "It's time to pay at the pump," he said.



[Corporate Headquarters] Another photo from the super secret headquarters of the Coconut Telegraph.
Democrats nor Republicans seldom do the right think. They are all in the pockets of others.

It's almost flu-season again!  This year, once again The Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce will be hosting The Visiting Nurses Association in administering flu and pneumonia shots. Bulletin Board
We’re in the middle of the biggest fiscal crisis since 1929. The crisis is a result of the failure of a raft of financial institutions including Government Sanctioned Enterprises (Fannie and Freddie). Both candidates have taken money from the failed institutions. The CEOs of the failed institutions have made staggering millions of dollars as salary and bonuses from those institutions. Those CEOs are pals of Obama, some are even heavy hitters on his campaign. Why haven’t the Democrats called for or started an investigation as to what caused this crisis? Yeah, you’re right, that’s a dumb question.



[Jim Cantore Kiss of Death] Get out, get out now. Everybody in Maine should leave now! I just heard on the Weather Chanel that Jim Cantore is coming for tropical storm/hurricane Kyle.

[War and Peace] I liked yesterday’s question of who ‘s presidency would be more likely to have war? McCain or Obama. I pick McCain for that dubious honor.




[War and Peace] Who has the greatest chance of brokering peace in the troubled places in the world?  Not a tough question. McCain; the world knows that he says what he means, he says it unequivocally, he knows that there is a time to talk and a time to act, he is a man of honor, he is a man who has been tested in the crucible. McCain has made life and death decisions.  The horrific pain of war is not an abstract notion to McCain, he needs no advisors.

I like Palin and I think the photoshopped pictures and a lot of the jokes are just hilarious!  It’s a good thing she has a tough hide!




There would be a conflict of interest if Tegan Slaton is elected Judge.  He is married to our Public Defender Rosemary Enright.

[Experience Limit] Someone suggested today that we should have an age limit saying McCain is too old to hold office.  How about a minimum experience limit.  The Democrats chose a candidate with very little experience in a political office.  Who should be president a wise older man with decades of experience or someone with almost no experience.  Who do we want leading us?  Let's stop being Politically correct and start being smart.

I’ve used both Mac machines and PCs. They both work fine. Macs look prettier, that’s about all that makes them better. When I was using a Mac the people in the office who always raved about Macs and snobbed-out about PCs had never used a PC except for a few minutes.

I liked the Mac after I figured out the filing system (Vista copied it’s file system) but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about. It didn’t do graphics any better than a PC. That’s usually what Mac users brag about the most, but they’ve never been able to show me an example to back up their claims. Until recently Macs actually performed worse than a PC. Mac machines had to switch to the PC's Pentium processors in order to increase their speed.

I think the Mac snob-factor started because Macs are the underdog in the computer world and a lot of people are drawn to the underdog. Other than price, the main reason I wouldn’t buy one is because I like to download free plug-ins and utilities and there aren’t that many made for Macs. Most free software is made for the PC. Everything is cheaper for a PC and I buy a lot of computer stuff.

[Bailout] All I see is the blame game and very few are trying to solve the problem.



[J. Leno] Let's see, a failed President and a failed Congress is going to give failed businesses $700 billion--it can't fail!

[Obama] Did anyone count how many times Obama said "When I am President" during Friday night's Debate?   This cocky S.O.B. could add new meaning to the term "Loose Cannon".   He scares the s**t out of me.   Those who vote the Party and ignore the principle of common sense really scare me,  and I'm fearless!


It was George's birthday last Sunday with 3/5ths of the Coconut Thunder band.
 

I don't doubt Mac makes good machines, they just aren't what I want.  They've always been too expensive, too proprietary, and don't have enough software variety for the things I like to do.  Macs are a personal preference, that's all.

[Free Internet Security] My weak, tired, 4 year old, turtle speed, even with hi-speed cable, PC has only free security programs.  I use AVG Free 8.0,   Ad-Aware,  Spybot Search & Destroy, Windows Defender,  and the Mozilla Thunderbird email set-up.  Overkill? I think not. Worthless?  I know not.   I get no spam. T-bird only allows email from people on my mail lists.  AVG includes Email Scanner that checks everything.  It's the best package I could find, and it's all free.  I paid the big bucks for Norton and McAfee, then got McAfee from my ISP and had nothing but trouble from all of them. Last time McSlowfee from my made my turtle PC even slower than my old dial-up connection.  Spend your hard earned bucks if you wish, but this free package works just fine for me.  

Obama was nostalgic when he mentioned his father in the context of how things were in the US during the 60s. I remember the 60s:  I remember the birth of our grotesque an failed welfare state, race riots, in April ’61 unemployment was at 7.1%, in 1969 inflation was at 5.46%, segregation still was in place in parts of the South, Viet Nam and, anti war riots flourished, Kent State, rampant drug use, hippies, the birth of AIDS, China and Mao’s terror reign, riots in France, resurgence of the Communist party, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and MLK,  the explosive growth of the American Left, The Cold war, the birth of Al Qaeda and the Weather Underground. Is this the America that Obama would strive for? Is this our future in an Obama presidency?




Has anyone seen an alligator in the local canals lately? I haven't seen one since Hurricane Wilma.

[Blame Carlos] What the H are you talking about? How can a candidate have any control over who or what is been written on this blog?  How do you know that Carlos is orchestrating an anti-Heather campaign?

[Malware] I'm really sorry if anything I sent gummed up the works!  I keep Windows Defender and AVG running constantly and updating daily, so I try to be careful. Everything gets swept when it comes in and again on the way out, but those who want to create bugs will find a way. (Ed: The more I think about it I think I got the malware from the pictures I copy from the internet. I rename them because I heard that the names can contain malware. [Does anyone know it that's true or not?] The sad fact is that the bad guys are smarter than we are.)

[TV station switched from analog to digital] A major problem during a test run in Wilmington, N.C., was the inability of over-the-air viewers to receive new digital signals. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26858298/

[Pirates] Unlike so many other hijackings off the coast of Somalia that have gone virtually unnoticed and unpunished the attack Thursday evening on the Faina, a Ukrainian vessel bringing military equipment to Kenya, has provoked the wrath of two of the most powerful militaries on the planet. The United States Navy was in hot pursuit of the ship Friday. And the Russians were not far behind. http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/26/africa/pirates.php?SpinSomeWagner

Free game http://dan-ball.jp/en/javagame/dust/








Has anyone noticed all the little tweety birds that showed up yesterday?

[Denver police union t-shirt] It just goes to show you the same cop mentality is everywhere. Denver just brags about it!

Obama is used to giving glorious speeches when no one is opposing him, but I think he did terrible in the debate.  He was so flustered that he couldn't even get McCain's name right.  He called him Tim, Tom, and Jim.


[72 year old McCain] Not to take away from your informing post but yes there were both televisions and automobiles 72 years ago.

[Bat Tower] Where can I send a check to contribute to the bat tower Fantasy Fest float? Mr. Perky would be proud. I'll never forget the time I sent my son into that gas station to ask to purchase tickets to the Bat Tower. He was so embarrassed. Now it's finally time to pay up!

I love analogies.  Watching our two presidential candidates, I can't help but to compare them to boxers.  On one hand, you have McCain, your classic puncher.  He comes at you dead ahead.  No tricks, no fakes, just bulldogs ahead.  You know where he's been, and you know where he's going.  No surprises.  He doesn't know how to look pretty, and doesn't care to learn how.  You can hit him with everything you've got, but he never waivers, just keeps punching and coming.  Looking for a knock-out.

On the other hand, Obama.  He's a runner.  Constantly circling, refusing to get himself pinned down.  He's got lot's of tricks and fakes, and is constantly expending his energy on not getting hit.  Your not really sure where he's been, or where he's gonna be.  He looks great out there, lot's of pretty moves, putting on a great show running around the other guy, but if he gets caught in the corner, he covers up, holds on and does his best to not get hit, so he can get away and run again.   He's not interested in the knock-out, he's hoping that his show is good enough to convince the judges that he is the winner.

Now, I don't really care for either one of these guys too much, but I have to ask myself this: If our country is in a corner, and we have a choice between a runner and a puncher to defend us, I want the puncher.  I want the guy interested in the knock-out.  The clear win--fight over.  I don't want a runner who is looking to cover up, hold on, survive, and hope he does not get hurt.  When you do that, the opponent is still there, and your still running,  doing your best not to get caught in the corner again.  

[The Cold War is over] Not quite yet, the Russian and Venezuelan navies are trying to provoke the US in the Caribbean this week.

[Color-based career testing] It's propaganda. This cannot work because a very high percentage of humans are in some way color blind and see colors differently. I know, I'm one of them. There is no absolute testing procedure to evaluate human intelligence. Look at politicians, comedians, actors, farmers, astronauts, priests, etc., they are all successful in some way, but who can say which is better than any other? Now testing for insanity is a whole different control factor!

Some of us don't care what day it is or if you get the date correct - just keep away from malware!

[A Billion] The candidates and all the nit-wits in Congress keep throwing the term “billion dollars” around as if it were chum. Does anyone realize just how much 1 billion dollars is?  If you have $1 million, and spend $1 every second 24/7 it would take 12 days to spend that $1 million.

If you had $1billion and spent that same $1 every second 24/7 it would take you 35 years to spend it. That’s 35 years! A billion is a no s**t amount of money.





NASA Astronaut in Space Challenges Earthlings in Chess Match. Chamitoff has been playing long-distance chess during his mission in his off-time with station control centers around the world. So far, he is undefeated. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/sep/HQ_M08-184_ISS_Chess_Match.html

[Halloween Decorations] Tools and Materials:
Gray pipe insulation: four 3-foot pieces for $2.76, by Thermwell, from Home Depot
Yellow map tacks
1.5-inch nails
Permanent marker
White acrylic paint
Red paper
Green spray paint

How-To
1. Squeeze end of pipe insulation together and use heavy-duty scissors to cut a triangle from each side. This will create the snake's open mouth. Cut long snake tongue from red paper and hot glue to bottom inside of snake mouth.
2. Paint 2 nails white below nail head. Push through the top of snake head to form nostrils and fangs.
3. Use 2 large map tacks for eyes, adding dab of craft glue to pin and pushing into foam. Add black pupils to pins with permanent marker.
4. Lay scrap of loosely woven burlap over snake body and spray lightly with green spray paint. This will create scale-like pattern.
The "Send Your Name Around the Earth" Web site enables everyone to take part in the science mission and place their names in orbit for years to come. Participants will receive a printable certificate from NASA and have their name recorded on a microchip that will become part of the spacecraft. The deadline for submitting names is Nov. 1, 2008. http://polls.nasa.gov/utilities/sendtospace/jsp/sendName.jsp

[Looking for Love] Harley would like to be a stud. He is an AKC registered Yellow Lab. His grandfather is Champion. Harley is a young 7 year old virgin. It is time for Harley to be a stud.

Call Captain Ron to arrange a rendezvous. Harley will supply Bud Lights and doggie treats. 305-360-5742

[We Deserve It Dividend] The actual dividend is only $425 each.  Quite a difference when you do the math correctly.  Now do you still want the dividend?  You got a check from the US Treasury already this year that is probably bigger.


Did you see the wedding dress for sale in the coco tele want ads? It’s a never been worn size “20” dress! Never been worn? Go figure. If I needed new sails on my sloop I'd make the call.

Are you a member of the Obama “Truth Squad”?  Be the first goon on your block to report your neighbor or your relative for saying anything “misleading” about The Obamessiah.  If you are unaware how to become An Official Obama Truth Squad Goon, please contact your local “Comrades for Obama” chapter.  Watch now, as the folks at KMOV-TV in St. Louis, Mo. let you in on the requirements to become An Official Obama Truth Squad Goon.  Are you a County or City District Attorney?  Those qualifications will move you up quickly in your quest to become An Official Obama Truth Squad Goon.  Perhaps you are employed by your local Sherriff’s Department?  This too, is a sure quick fire method to attaining the status of Official Obama Truth Squad Goon.  So sorry to digress, watch now as St. Louis County District Attorney Jennifer Joyce shows you the fascinating world of the Official Obama Truth Squad Goon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIenDGSAdPA

[Citizens Not Serfs] This week, we will be doing an incredibly large mail drop regarding FEMA regulations to Washington D.C. and Tallahassee. In order for us to do this in a timely fashion, we need anyone and everyone to meet today September 28 at 1:00PM at our Campaign Headquarters (1045 Flagship Drive, Summerland Key). We will be prepping our letters for distribution to begin going out on Wednesday. Lunch will be provided as well as Sunday Football. Don't forgot to wear your shirts! Let me know if you can attend: (305)745-1715 or Sheena@CitizensNotSerfs.com Thanks again for your continued support!

[Sandy Downs’ supporter is a man with no visible means of support running endlessly for public office while informing us voters that he gets his instructions from dreams] Yesterdays post reminds me of many (not all) of the posts to the gossip column: the writer has plenty of criticism but offers no solutions; the writer does not indicate that he/she  is doing anything him/herself to try to make things better in the Keys (or anywhere); and the writer does not have the guts to identify him/herself. (Ed: This an anonymous forum by design) Of the three, failure to identify tells me more about the writer than anything the writer could say. To be perfectly blunt, I am fed up with people piping up about what they don’t like that’s going on in the Keys (or anywhere), who do not put their name on their piping. Fed up. I am not just speaking here of the Coconut Telegraph. I also am speaking of all the Blogs and of the people who bitch and moan to me but do not want their names appearing in what I use that they bitch and moan to me about. That upchuck out of the way, I will speak briefly to what this chicken s**t with the chip on his/her shoulder posted to the Coconut Telegraph yesterday.

Are you aware that David Rice, who had no law enforcement credentials whatsoever, was going to run for sheriff until he learned that Sandy Downs had entered the sheriff race?
Are you aware that Bob Peryam is so over-qualified to be our next sheriff that he was demoted from Major to Captain because he was incompetent in the job he was given when he was a Major in our Sheriff Department?
Are you aware that Bob Peryam had other people do his school work, so he could get his law enforcement degree?
Are you aware that Bob Peryam never saw anything wrong with his own wife being head of Internal Affairs, until months after Sandy Downs started bitching about it?
Are you aware that Bob Peryam thinks with his dick, which everyone in the Keys but you now seems to know?
Are you aware that Ken Davis did not make any cases that stuck in the Keys, when he headed our local DEA unit?
Are you aware that neither Ken Davis nor Bob Peryam saw any need for a Citizen Review Board when they announced their candidacies?

Sloan Bashinsky, non-affiliated county commission candidate, District 3. More…Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel


Conversations between astronauts aboard the International Space Station and flight controllers on the ground now are available for the public to hear live, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on NASA's Web site, www.nasa.gov

Obama claims, if elected, the good 'ole boy club's influence on Washington will end. What, no comments to the media from Obama's own good 'ole boy club? Could that mean "the end" for Obama sponsors & supporters Ted Kennedy 46yrs, Joe Biden 36yrs, Chris Dodd: 33yrs, Harry Reid: 25yrs, John Kerry: 23yrs, Nancy Pelosi: 21yrs, Bill Richardson: 14yrs & others?

Fear not, Obama was only talking about Republicans. With 198+ years of combined experience, the elders will keep pulling the strings, feeding the rhetoric and controlling their boy's actions. They are creating history here, that's all that matters. They'll work out the details and manipulate their puppet to support the club's agenda later if Obama is elected.



[Wall Street] Is this the time to start believing what the corrupt politicians in Washington are telling us about the bailout? Lobbyist and Wall Street run this country. To believe otherwise is to have faith.

[Irony] They’re asking all of us to pay a couple of thousand dollars each to help bailout Wall Street, but won’t elect Obama because he will raise taxes for a few of those rich Wall Streeters.

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Saturday September 27, 2008

[Bailout] If people believe that welfare is ruining black America then why would we want to give mortgage companies welfare? I thought we all agreed that welfare destroys progress? Maybe we need to take down more barriers and let businesses run unfettered.

[No code can be in an image file] I see that everyone one on BPK has suddenly got their MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) and now writes code at Symantec. As I am in the business (IT) it really makes me simultaneously laugh and cringe when I read these ignorant posts.
 
1. Of course there is a known exploit for jpeg images. A simple goolge search would have told you that, Mr. Know-it-all.
 
2. You get what you pay for? I use Symantec Enterprise on my corporate network with Exchange A/V and anti-spam, all the bells and whistles. It costs thousands of dollars a year just for licensing. Guess what? I use AVG at home, I like it much better.
 
3. Get a MAC? There is a reason that Apple has only a 11% market share. It is not a business tool. They have carved out their little niche in graphics, but the world runs on Windows so suck it up and quite complaining to Ed. Apple has few viruses because nobody writes virus code for them. Why bother? There are not enough to infect to interest the script kiddies.
 
I'll bet that the infected file came from the “I have never gotten a bug” guy. His system has been infected and he doesn't even know it.

McCain is a dangerous man who won’t even talk to our enemies. (Psst...John, the Cold War is over) These are different times than when you were in your prime with different problems.

The Denver police union is selling T-shirts that poke fun at protesters at last month's Democratic National Convention, but the main target isn't laughing. Police Union Shirt Pokes Fun At DNC Protesters - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver

[Heather] If our county makes the mistake of electing Heather is she going to have a campaign party at Pearls.  Oh, wait, I wouldn't be allowed.  Pearls discriminates against males.  My bad.






[More bar wisdom] My dog reminds me of my ex-husband. He's not pulling his weight financially and he's afraid of the vacuum.
If Mac computers are so great how come they use Pentium processors and load Windows and cost more and have limited software available? they don't do anything better than Windows or Linux operating systems. They are bought for the snob factor and that's about it.

DeWalt's new nail gun. It can drive a 16 penny nails through a 2 X 4 at 200 yards.  This makes construction a breeze; you can sit in your lawn chair and build a fence.  Just get the wife and kids to hold the fence boards in place while you sit back, relax with a cold drink,  when they have the board in the right place just fire away. With the hundred round magazine,  you can build the fence with a minimum of reloading.  After a day of fence building with the new Dewalt Rapid fire nail gun,  the wife will not ask you to fix or build anything else.

Local Democrat info can be learned about at the "Blue Heron Park Clubhouse" on Big Pine Key this Tuesday, September 30 from 6-7 p.m. Take Key Deer Blvd. to Litton's Way. Clubhouse is on the right.


I heard that while Palin was in New York visiting the UN she toured the Central Park Zoo.  This took much longer then expected because she kept stopping to reload.    It must be true because Leno said it.

[Bailout] If we don't nationalize the banking and mortgage mess the people supposedly in charge fear our monetary system will collapse. The problem is they want We The People to nationalize the debt without getting any collateral. That isn't socialism, that's the Republican administration trying once again to screw We The People.

It’s Alice in Wonderland again. Senator Dodd, Senate Banking committee, is speechify and bitching about how that evil McCain is mucking up Bush’s repair plan for the F/F mess.  Deer friends, Dodd is the freaking white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland who has received more money from F/F than any other legislator (Obama is #2).  Dodd, for the last two years, has had oversight over the whole G/D banking industry! Dodd himself took a sweetheart mortgage from these people.  Dodd led the charge against a whole series of Republican efforts to reform F/F, damnit, he prevented the reform that would have avoided this whole freaking mess.  It’s absolutely freaking incredible.  The slime trail in this mess is loaded with Democrat footprints.

[The We Deserve it Dividend] No we don’t deserve anything but a kick in the butt.  We allowed a bunch of our hired hands to royally screw up Fannie and Freddie.  We and the Bozos were loudly and often warned, and some folks tried to kick some sense into them but failed.   We, that’s you and I, sat on our fat dumb asses and let this muck-up happen.  We deserve whatever fecal matter rolls down on us.  The Deserve it poster said it really would cost “only” $59 or so billion.  Just where in the hell is that monstrous pile of bucks supposed to come from. Yes, bigger taxes from thee and me. Screw 'em.


Marathon should get Sloppy Joes and Margaritaville to move up there and then change it's name to Key West.   Then they'll get an airline to service them.

Please send the following email message in support of the Florida Keys as an Area of Critical State Concern to the addresses listed below:
Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
ag.mccollum@myfloridalegal.com,
cfo@MyFloridaCFO.com,
commissioner@doacs.state.fl.us


To: Administration Commission, The Honorable Charles Crist, Governor, The Honorable Bill McCollum, Attorney General The Honorable Alex Sink, Chief Financial Officer The Honorable Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner

Re: Public Input on the Florida Keys' Area of Critical State Concern Removal of Designation Report
As you consider the findings from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) regarding the designation of the Florida Keys as an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC), we ask that you also consider the will of the people in Monroe County.
When former Representative Ken Sorensen introduced legislation to de-designate our County, the public backlash was evidently clear. Individuals from various walks of life in the Keys stood together and said "no!"
Our residents understand the importance of this vital designation and greatly appreciate the State's willingness to recognize that we continue to be a fragile community of major statewide significance.
Without the support of the Governor and Cabinet, many in the Statehouse and the DCA - - our beloved Keys would no longer be the Paradise that it is and would ultimately be a reflection of the rest of South Florida with wall-to-wall high rise condos and hotels.
In 2006, Lake Research Partners was commissioned to conduct a scientific poll on voter sentiment regarding this topic. Its findings are as follows:
82% of all likely voters strongly oppose rescinding the Area of Critical State Concern designation.
86% believe developers will build high priced, high rise condos
78% believe the Florida Keys will end up looking like an extension of Miami Beach
91% believe roads, highways and bridges will be congested with trafiic caused by increased population
76% believe taxes will be increased to support the increased population
75% believe the current hurricane evacuation plans will be insufficient to support the increased population
Additionally, you have been sent a hardcopy of the full report from our organization or you can view it on our organization's website www.CitizensNotSerfs.com.

It is our hope that the Administration Commission will accept the DCA's Removal of Designation Report and their subsequent determination that substantial progress has NOT been achieved. Thus, the Florida Keys should retain its ACSC designation.
Sincerely, (Don't forget to sign your name)




This site is the best vehicle around for getting your voice and opinion heard, but please don’t forget that writing  letters to the editor of the various local liberal newspapers for publication reaches a different , but important, audience.  Have the courage of your convictions, give it a try.

[Sheriff Race] Let's review the race for Sheriff again and include Sandy Downs, a citizen with a chip on her shoulder. I'm going to say she has no qualifications at all to run for Sheriff, no qualifications at all to manage a $50 million budget and no law enforcement credentials whatsoever. Thus, were she elected, she would have to go to the Academy, pass the test and get her credentials like a rookie deputy. That has to be an encouragement for the voters to support her wild card candidacy. Her supporter is a man with no visible means of support running endlessly for public office while informing us voters that he gets his instructions from dreams.

[Patriotic Truck] Have you heard about the trucker who has painted his cab and trailer with the names of all those who lost their lives on 9/11? The trucker's name is John Holmgren from Shafer, Minn.   He has been “pulled over” numerous times just so the troopers can get their picture taken with the truck.

To the person looking for Obama's personal information. I’ve seen quite a few of those things you requested. Maybe you should improve your research abilities. Do you really think a United States senator wouldn’t be scrutinized and his records checked before taking office? Oops, I forgot Sarah wasn’t researched either. Hey Ms Palin, release all your information concerning your investigations that you are holding back from lawmakers.
[MADD] After reading the arrest page and seeing so many drunk drivers busted (thank you police people) I am happy that I do not have that problem. People's brains become pickled and over the years they seem to become mentally retarded. People call it a "disease" but it's like getting yourself fat or letting your teeth rot - you allow this to happen. What if you killed some kid or crippled somebody or yourself? The consequences of drunk driving do not equal the fact that you would have to call a cab or a friend instead of a vehicular manslaughter charge in addition to civil suits and your life and the victims life would never be the same. You may feel much better replacing or strict moderation of your cocktails / narcotics / junk food with good old-fashioned exercise, sunshine, supplements, adequate sleep, fresh fruits and a healthy diet for life. It feels and looks good to not be addicted to anything or anyone bad and it takes a great deal of empowerment to break away from the darker influences. This could be why so many of you are unhappy and tortured by your destructive lifestyles of daily impairment. It would be nice to see more healthy, happy and balanced residents in the Keys.

[Free Market] This country was founded on a free market system, let it work. Yes, I have money in the stock market and I own a business that will suffer, but we all have suffered before with gas shortages and 20% interest rates and building moratoriums; and we got thru it. This is a time to clean house, start fresh. I am also just getting ready to retire, that will have to wait. What do ya think? Is it time to stop the free ride? Let me say this: I would like to see any first time home owners be allowed to refinance their loan to become 50 and 75 year loans. This would lower their payments to an amount that they may be able to live with.



Even Carl Rove yesterday said John McCain’s smear commercials were over the top. You have to go a long way to offend Carl Rove.

[Virus] My pictures are clean.  I am vigilantly virus free.  Sorry to hear that you got a bug. I love Norton Anti-Virus and Window Washer. 

The pumpkins are coming!  St. Peter Church, mm 31.5, is preparing for their annual pumpkin patch. Please help our youth group raise money for hurricane relief and our local food pantry by visiting the patch.  The pumpkin patch will be open daily from 10:00 a.m. until dusk beginning on October 5.  Pumpkins of all sizes and varieties will be available as well as gourds, Indian corn and straw to decorate your business for Fall.  Local school children are invited on a field trip to the patch for story hour during the week.  Please call 872-2537 to register.  There will be a "children's costume corner" and donations of gently used costumes and props are greatly appreciated.  See you at the patch!
[AIDS Cure] Girls who did pass, the commission argued, faced the cruel prospect of being raped in a culture in which some men believe that intercourse with a virgin can cure AIDS. Zulus Eagerly Defy Ban on Virginity Test - washingtonpost.com
As far as I know, Monroe County does not challenge the truth of the factual allegations in Celeste Bruno’s lawsuit. The County’s defense seems based on legal technicalities and wishful thinking. So I’d like to talk about some not so obvious music being played under the covers and around the fringes.

When Celeste filed her lawsuit, the County’s insurance company assigned a private lawyer to defend the case. This lawyer, despite holding forth that he represented Monroe County, actually is the insurance company’s lawyer, which pays him to defend the case. Rest assured, if the insurance company’s attorney really did represent the County, he would have made Sonny McCoy a third-party defendant, trying to minimize the County’s exposure in the case.

Alas, when Celeste filed her lawsuit, the County Commission was controlled by Sonny McCoy, Dixie Spehar and Mario DiGennaro. It’s hard to imagine that The Gang of Three would have approved a third-party complaint against Sonny, which would admit the truth of Celeste’s allegations. I told a friend yesterday that, if I had been the County Attorney, I would have bypassed the insurance company’s lawyer and the County Commission, and filed the third-party action against Sonny, and if it cost me my job, then so be it. I said my lawyer-client duty first would be to the County, and not to one or more of the County Commissioners.

My friend was pretty riled up over the allegations in Celeste’s complaint, because the suit had been downplayed by the county government and its lawyers, and my publishing the actual allegations sort of came as a bombshell. He had heard letters had been written from within the county government, trying to reel Sonny in, to no avail. Letters he figured would end up in evidence during the trial. He was especially upset with the “I told you sos” Celeste received from county employees, after she decided she could not take any more. He said that would really hurt the County in the trial and was not hopeful for the County’s chances. I said it might be another Duck Tours case, but with a lot more teeth.

My friend said the general consensus in the county government was that Sonny was above being controlled. He lamented that the County has no power to reel in a wayward commissioner. I said there is a way:  take the commissioner to state court and ask for an injunction. If the County Commission won’t do it, then a private citizen has to do it. I said another way is to file a formal complaint with the state Ethics Commission, which might be about the same as asking the fox to guard the chickens. Even if the Ethics Commission does come down on a county commissioner, my understanding is that it takes the Governor to remove the commissioner from office. When I said we need the power to recall our elected officials, this person said I should push hard for voter recall in my campaign. In fact, I have pushed for it from time to time in my posts, but nobody ever seemed to get behind it. Maybe the atmosphere now is more favorable.

My friend also was upset that County Commissioners George Neugent and Sylvia Murphy had not raised a public stink after they were given copies of Celeste’s lawsuit papers. I agreed that George and Sylvia, above all others, should have raised bloody hell. By publishing Celeste’s allegations themselves, George and Sylvia could have brought tremendous public pressure on the County Commission to make Sonny a third-party defendant in the lawsuit. Instead, George and Sylvia became part of the conspiracy to protect Sonny and put the County and its residents and taxpayers in jeopardy. The other thing that left me really scratching my head, I said, was: “Why didn’t Celeste sue Sonny? Why did she only go after the County?”
Sloan Bashinsky, non-affiliated county commission candidate, District 3 Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel


[Electric Drum T-Shirt] Man, I got to get one of these. http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/drumkit
[We Deserve It Dividend] Your math is wrong. The correct amount is $425. A billion is a 1000 million.
[Rare High Tides] Ramrod lots are all under water with the tide.  Thank goodness the rain is dumping on the land with hopes it will give a small help to save our fruit trees.  It gives our orchids a great boost.  Some day we may all be living as if we are in Venice if the extreme  tides keep going like they have been.
Commitment (ko- mit-ment) n.  Female: A desire to get married and raise a family. Male: Trying not to hit on other women while out with this one.


[Computer Trick] I finally learned how to delete all previous addresses when forwarding email. Thanks Joe. Imagine that? An old dog, new trick!
A blonde heard that a two Brazilian people died in Amazon flooding.  She was weeping at the enormous loss and wailing  when her boy friend came in and asked her what the matter was.  She asked him, "How much is a brazilian is it more than a million?"


24 Hour Air Traffic Around the World Blows Minds, Eyeballs. http://gizmodo.com/5055160/
[72 year old McCain]  Shouldn't there be an age limit on how old you can be to run for President? There is an minimum age limit, there should be one on the other end too. There are people that live in Old Folks Homes that are his age. I didn't realize he was that old. How does a President get Viagra, through Bethesda Medical Center? If he is elected I hope he makes it through his four years. He is way, way too old. He should be named as the antique President Elect. There weren't even cars or TVs when he was born.


[We Deserve It Dividend]  $85,000,000,000. divided by 200,000,000 equals $425 not $425,000 as stated in the submission.  However, I have to admit that I went to a good public school that taught me math (like we have in the Keys) unlike the author.

Fly-by on Oakland Airport Control Tower MySpaceTV Videos: Fly-by on Oakland Airport Control Tower by Spider Monkey

The Color Career Counselor, powered by The Dewey Color System] The world's only validated, non-language color-based career testing instrument. It uses color preferences to determine successful career paths. Dewey Sadka, author of The Dewey Color System, says using colors instead of a questionnaire eliminates the chasm between self-perception and self-truth and reveals your core motivations. http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/colorcareercounselor.aspx

[Math] Deer Ed, it would be appreciated when posters like Mr. give-everyone-in-America-$425,000, have their math wrong, you just not post it.  It shows either a lack of education, or a lack of a rudimentary knowledge of a calculator.  The actual math given his numbers of 85 billion dollars, and 200 million people actually only equals $425 dollars per person. (Ed: You’re assuming I’m smarter than him. Hell, I can’t even get the date correct.)



Lost Cargo will be open rain or shine today. A fresh truck load fruits, veggies and the best tomatoes are coming in this morning!

[Bailout] I wonder how many Democrats were in control of the top spots of these banks and calling the shots while they slid into this financial crisis.  It sounds like white collar Republican controlled territory to me.
This was the largest re-enlistment ceremony ever held in military history. The ceremony was held on the 4th of July, 2008 at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad , Iraq . General David Petraeus officiated.
[Good Debate] I’ve got to wonder why Obama keeps wailing about Iraq. Iraq and Bush are yesterday! Doesn’t he know that we won? I’m worrying about tomorrow.  For God’s sake, Obama wants us to invade Pakistan. What’s that about?  I thought that Obama looked really nervous, did you see the white spit on his lower lip about half way through?

[Clinton Caused The War] Dubya simply took over an administration and the CIA who were either 80% appointed by Clinton or liberal democrats with civil service positions who could not be ousted. Bad info equals bad decisions. They gave Dubya and us bad info.

Why all of a sudden is everyone is against Dubya? Certainly not because he led us through 9/11 and kicked Saddam Hussein's ugly ass. Simple. No brainer. Everyone is running to cover their own asses. Most of the world doesn't understand the difference between "accountability" and "responsibility". Here is the difference, and if you don't understand I suggest you contact the dictionary, your God or your mantra or your Yoga Instructor. You cannot delegate accountability. You can delegate responsibility.

Dubya accepted the accountability the moment he took the office of the Presidency. Clinton had already delegated the responsibility to a bunch of liberal idiots. In engineering terms, there is always a time constant. Things are not instantaneous, nor are they linear (for non-technical readers of this diatribe - look up square root, exponential, logarithmic, and Einstein's Theory of Relativity). They are as real as the air we breath.

Point being, too many of you liberals are just trying to crucify somebody - the old 'Give me someone to blame'. And if you continue with your venom against Bush (who did not cause the problem, simply took it over, and by virtue of being the President of The United States, accepted accountability) and vote for an unskilled, obviously slick, sneaky-tongued liberal from the pure city of Chicago, I can only say: Blame Clinton.



I live on an island in Paradise.  I can fish, eat coconuts.  I don't need gasoline.  Maybe I did plan my retirement right after all.

[Blame Carlos] Based on yesterday’s “Heather Carruthers I spent a few minutes today” post I have just decided. Sorry (Carlos), but I will not vote for Carlos because I am now convinced that Carlos is not campaigning in a respectable fashion. Carlos has failed to impress on his supporters that their behavior reflects on him and affects how the voters will "like" him.  If Carlos cannot even manage to run a respectful campaign (and as I recall, he signed a campaign agreement), how can voters expect Carlos to be an honorable and respectable and credible commissioner?  Although I do not agree with everything Heather agrees with, and I would like to hear more from both Heather and Carlos, this constant anti-Heather crap has pushed me too far away from continuing to consider Carlos.  So, my vote will be against Carlos because of his orchestrating an anti-Heather campaign. 

Politics 101 - the buck stops at the candidate. The candidate does not get to stand up and say it's not my fault - because, yes - it is. Once the candidate signs the election form, everything "campaign" is the candidate's responsibility to manage and control. To think otherwise is politically naive and ignorant.



Spirit is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected as of the most recent report from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1674. Spirit's Warming Up On Mars

[We Deserve It Dividend] Okay, who’s doing the math? The real number is $425 per person. This is how this country got into so much financial trouble. I wish the author was my banker.





[Very High Tides] About half my yard is flooded. Is this that global warming they've been talking about?

How far reaching is Barack Obama's grassroots’ organization? This al-Jazeera video was shot during the Democratic primary. After seeing the over whelming reaction of support during the senator's overseas tour, a question arises. How else is our presidential election being influenced by non-American voters thanks to the internet and online contributions? http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/03/pali-gazans-cam.html


Finally actual proof of Sarah Palin’s foreign policy experience! Take that you liberal weasels!

[President] Who has the greatest chance of brokering peace in the troubled places in the world, Obama or McCain? Who is more likely to start another war, Obama or McCain? Who will improve the world’s opinion of the US, Obama or McCain?

[The World View] Once in a century rip-off. Economist Michael Hudson: The bailout is a giveaway that will cause hyperinflation and dollar collapse. http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=2408






[You know you live in the Keys when] Thank you. I laughed so hard I got tears, and I'm still grinning.  And it's my birthday, and this just made my day!

[Why Rush the Bailout]  Mama and the kids and the dog and the bags are sitting out in the car with the motor running.  It's vacation time for Congress. That's why.



[Cars] McCain has 13 cars and Obama, the elitist, has one.
[Storm Surge Video] http://www.wmtw.com/video/17144859/index.html

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Saturday September 27, 2008

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Friday September 26, 2008
Someone called the new plan No Child Left A Dime.

 

[Moving to Cuba where there are fewer Hispanic people] I got a chuckle out of that. Sorry about your bike. I'll bet if we did an accurate head count, America does have more cubans than Cuba.



[Ed: Breaking News] 11:55am and the great debate will proceed as scheduled. Both McCain and Obama will be there tonight.

[We Deserve It Dividend] I'm against the $85,000,000,000 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a “We Deserve It Dividend”. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18 and over. Our population is about 301,000,000 counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up. So divide 200 million adults into $85 billon that equals $425,000. My plan is to give $425,000 to every person over 18 as a We Deserve It Dividend. Of course, it would not be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual has to pay $127,500 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult has $297,500 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000. What would you do with $297,500 to $595,000 in your family? Pay off your mortgage--housing crisis solved! Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads. Put away money for college – it'll be there safe in a bank creating money to loan to entrepreneurs. Buy a new car and create jobs, invest in the market. Capital drives growth. Pay for your parent's medical insurance. Health care improves. Enable deadbeat dads to come clean, or else.

This is for every adult U S Citizen including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it instead of trickling out a puny $1000 economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President. If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen. 

As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General Ins Co go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea that can never work, but can you imagine the coast to coast block party! How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow Americans to know how to use the $85 billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC to use it. And remember, this plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Ahhh, I feel so much better getting that off my chest.
You know you live in the Keys when...
You have FEMA on speed dial.
You have more than 300 'C' and 'D' batteries in your kitchen drawer.
Your pantry contains more than 20 cans of Spaghetti O's.
You are thinking of repainting your house to match the plywood covering your windows.
When describing your house to a prospective buyer, you say it has three bedrooms, two baths and one safe hallway.
Your SSN isn't a secret, it's written in Sharpie on your arms.
You are on a first-name basis with the cashier at Home Depot.
You are delighted to pay $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded.
The road leading to your house has been declared a No-Wake Zone.
You decide that your patio furniture looks better on the bottom of the pool.
You own more than three large coolers.
You can wish that other people get hit by a hurricane and not feel the least bit guilty about it.
You have 2-liter coke bottles and milk jugs filled with water in your freezer.
Three months ago you couldn't hang a shower curtain; today you can assemble a portable generator by candlelight.
You catch a 13-pound redfish - in your driveway.
You can recite from memory whole portions of your homeowner's insurance policy.
At cocktail parties, women are attracted to the guy with the biggest chainsaw.
You have had tuna fish more than 5 days in a row.
There is a roll of tarpaper in your garage.
You can rattle off the names of three or more meteorologists who work at the Weather Channel.
Someone comes to your door to tell you they found your roof.
You find ice an interesting topic of conversation.
Your "drive-thru" meal consists of MRE's and bottled water.
Relocating to South Dakota does not seem like such a crazy idea.
You spend more time on your roof than in your living room.
You've been laughed at over the phone by a roofer, fence builder or a tree trimmer.
A battery-powered TV is considered a home entertainment center.
You don't worry about relatives wanting to visit during the summer.
You love the smell of wet sheet rock!
You have a real coconut telegraph between houses!
You seriously contemplate buying a used submarine.

[Malware] Deer Editor, don’t give up! We appreciate your efforts. Sorry to hear that your computer was nuked by malware.




The Shenzhou, whose name means Divine Vessel, will move into orbit at an altitude of 373 kilometers (230 miles) for the space walk, which is expected Friday or Saturday. Brimming with confidence, China's astronauts brace for historic mission

I’m betting that McCain will be at the debate tonight. His going to Washington has backfired. I’ve seen three senators on the tube today saying that McCain mucked up the negations. Sen Dodd said that McCain is not on the Banking Commission and doesn’t know enough about finance to be a useful contributor.

Below are the factual allegations lifted verbatim out of the initial complaint filed by Celeste Bruno in the Monroe County Circuit Court against Monroe County. The case then was removed by Monroe County to the U.S. District Court, because part of the allegations concern violations of federal laws. The Complaint then was amended, dropping all but the first two counts. The factual allegations of misconduct by Sonny McCoy remained the same.
 
The alleged wrongdoing is set out in detail and minces no words. Because of the candor and detail, it’s hard for me to imagine the allegations are not true or mostly true. I cannot understand why Celeste only sued the County and left Sonny out of it. I also cannot understand why the County did not bring Sonny into the case as a third-party defendant, inasmuch as he is accused of misconduct that had nothing whatsoever to do with his job as a county commissioner and Mayor of Monroe County. Instead, the County seems to have protected Sonny at every turn, and in doing so has acted as if it has no exposure in this case. As the case now stands, if Celeste wins, Sonny gets off and Monroe County and its residents and taxpayers get tagged for everything.
 
I learned two days ago that the trial is set to begin this coming Monday at 1 p.m. in the Key West federal courthouse. I am working on something for the trial judge to consider.

General Alleqations
9. The Mayor hired Bruno as his executive assistant February 9, 2005 following an interview during which he never asked about her qualifications nor sought to see her resume, but commented, “Well, you're certainly pretty enough.”
10. The Mayor's reputation at the time within Monroe County government for inappropriately interacting with female employees was such that when Bruno went to the county administrator's office to complete the paper work to accept the job, the county administrator's administrative assistant, Connie Cyr, stated that she had been approached to take the job, but that she would not do so - “Not with his reputation” - and Debbie Fredericks, then a Senior Administrative Assistant and subsequently Deputy County Administrator, warned Bruno, 'If he starts, you have to be really stern.”     More…Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel


[Surge Protector for BigPineKey.com] We got a whole building surge protector installed at corporate headquarters yesterday. We bought it from Keys Energy for $150 and it goes between the meter and the house and has a light in it that tells us if it’s working. The accompanying warranty went to great lengths to explain that nothing is covered or guaranteed. And that this non-guarantee is good for 10 years.

[The Powerful Giving Money to the Rich] the poster was right and I think that’s how the rest of us feel. Remember all our savings are protected up to $100,000 for each account. That’s all I care about. I don’t care if businesses can borrow money or not. You make a bad business decision, that’s the price of business.




I just watched a video of Sara Palin having a spell cast over her by some voodoo-type man freeing her from Witches. She went to this church for years. I don’t know about you but I’m starting to think she’s a bit out there. I hope the spirits don’t get me for saying that. I’m going to shake chickens feet at my TV maybe then I will be safe.

[Citizens Not Serfs] Commissioner George Neugent spoke at our last meeting and expressed his willingness to work with us and learn more.  He has a historical record of being a supporter of our Area of Critical State Concern designation so we need not worry about that.  However, he is now learning more about the issue pertaining to FEMA.  He has welcomed listening to our members'

testimonials and what each of you is experiencing in your particular situation.  Please email him and let him know the hardships you are experiencing.  Neugent-George@monroecounty-fl.gov

There is an ordinance on the books that authorizes the Building Department to collaborate with the Property Appraiser’s Office to use tax cards before issuing home improvement permits.  We want to see this ordinance rescinded.




Kids shows are getting very heavy. Video

It looks like the keys will remain an Area of Critical State Concern because the DCA says we’re still not making progress on evacuation, habitat preservation and sewers. Yeah!



[I Won’t Flinch] The Brits playing in Afghanistan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRfDsSnLtE4&NR=1

[Ike Cleanup] In the four days the men were in town, they used their heavy equipment to help seven local property owners whose homes were severely damaged.  Had prior commitments not forced the men to return to Glen Rose, TX Wednesday afternoon, they said, they would like to have stayed for a week longer.  “All of us think we got more out of this experience than what we were able to do for others.” http://hcnonline.com/articles/2008/09/25/conroe_courier/news/glenrose0925.txt

[Sarah Palin] Is it not mind-boggling that in the twenty-first century we are seeing this primitive behavior in people being considered for the top positions in our government?http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/the-witch-hunter-anoints_b_128805.html

[Party Time] Local bar owner in trouble. Here in America we are all innocent until proven guilty, even the Bubba deserves due process. We may discover he was only offering the man on the hood of his car a ride home and that the coke in his pocket was put there by one of the dancing girls while she was on his lap. He was obviously sober at 3 am or would have also been charged with a DUI.

A gun range in the Keys would be so awesome.  Have a "power lane" where we can rent and shoot machine guns.  Offer rentals where we can shoot different calibers and brands.  We have some local sharp shooters who could conduct seminars and give lessons. This is not a cheap hobby and a trip to the range can be costly.  I wonder how many would support a shooting range in the Lower Keys and if tourists would visit.  The best advice I could give new gun owners would be to be 100% responsible and understand it is not a toy or something to show-off and to practice and teach all family members how to use it. 

Our children and the Missus learned how to handle, respect and fire guns before the teenage years.  The scary part is the Keys Diseased, uneducated, angry, haters who are packing and violating the CCW laws because they are drug and alcohol addicted.  Many of these packers, in my opinion, need three day psych-evaluations and not hand gun permits, but they are roaming our streets with concealed firearms and are ticking time bombs.  Remember, behind every bullet is a criminal lawyer who will need $500 an hour and that Mickey Mouse NRA Lifetime Membership Insurance won't keep you out of jail after you get stupider.  When you are caught drunk and or with drugs and you have your gun, you can expect mandatory jail time.  Do everyone a favor and spend time educating yourselves.  Maybe someone who can read will share with you the pertinent information from the following link.   http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/weapons/index.html

[NASA Photo Gallery] http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html

Here is a quick look into 3 former Fannie Mae executives who have brought down Wall Street.

[Franklin Raines] Was a Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Fannie Mae.  Raines was forced to retire from his position with Fannie Mae  when auditing discovered severe irregularities in Fannie Mae's accounting activities. At the time of his departure The Wall Street Journal noted, " Raines, who long defended the company's accounting despite mounting evidence that it wasn't proper, issued a statement late Tuesday conceding that "mistakes were made" and saying he would assume responsibility as he had earlier promised. News reports indicate the company was under growing pressure from regulators to shake up its management in the wake of findings that the company's books ran afoul of generally accepted accounting principles for four years."  Fannie Mae had to reduce its surplus by $9 billion.
Raines left with a "golden parachute valued at $240 Million in benefits.

The Government filed suit against Raines when the depth of the accounting scandal became clear . The Government noted, "The 101 charges reveal how the individuals improperly manipulated earnings to maximize their bonuses, while knowingly neglecting accounting systems and internal controls, misapplying over twenty accounting principles and misleading the regulator and the public. The Notice explains how they submitted six years of misleading and inaccurate accounting statements and inaccurate capital reports that enabled them to grow Fannie Mae in an unsafe and unsound manner."  These charges were made in 2006.  The Court ordered Raines to return $50 Million Dollars he received in bonuses based on the miss-stated Fannie Mae profits. http://housingdoom.com/2006/12/18/fannie-charges/

[Tim Howard ]Was the Chief Financial Officer of Fannie Mae. Howard "was a strong internal proponent of using accounting strategies that would ensure a "stable pattern of earnings" at Fannie. In everyday English - he was cooking the books.  The Government Investigation determined that, "Chief Financial Officer, Tim Howard, failed to provide adequate oversight to key control and reporting functions within Fannie Mae,"

On June 16, 2006, Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., asked the Justice Department to investigate his allegations that two former Fannie Mae executives lied to Congress in October 2004 when they denied manipulating the mortgage-finance giant's income statement to achieve management pay bonuses. Investigations by federal regulators and the company's board of directors since concluded that management did manipulate 1998 earnings to trigger bonuses. Raines and Howard resigned under pressure in late 2004.
Howard's Golden Parachute was estimated at $20 Million!

[Jim Johnson ]  A former executive at Lehman Brothers and who was later forced from his position as Fannie Mae CEO.   A look at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's May 2006 report on mismanagement and corruption inside Fannie Mae, and you'll see some interesting things about Johnson. Investigators found that Fannie Mae had hidden a substantial amount of Johnson's 1998 compensation from the public, reporting that it was between $6 million and $7 million when it fact it was $21 million."   Johnson is currently under investigation for taking illegal loans from Countrywide while serving as CEO of Fannie Mae.
Johnson's Golden Parachute was estimated at $28 Million.



[Tides] I'm sure glad that we have no storms this week - the tides have been running real high.

[7 better uses for $700 billion] 7 better uses for $700 billion - MSN Money

The power brokers are going to pass the bailout no matter what the majority of Americans want. And you think your vote counts?




Why I was never late for school. Zero to school in sixty seconds! Video
I respectfully ask that  Obama supporters do some good faith research into the role that his associates  Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelick, Jim Johnson and others had in the  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac debacle.  Obama himself, Chris Dodd, Bill Clinton and Barney Frank contributed mightily to the mess. Shakespeare said “the truth will out”, we can only hope that more of our Democrat friends will accept it. I suggest to our Democrat friends that they actually have a responsibility to make inquiry.  The blame game is generally a no win proposition for all, it's usually a waste of time.  But, it is important to identify those persons whose judgment and actions were responsible for the problem.  The past is prologue.


[Bring back the TV Translator Towers] Does anyone know about the future of Digital TV in the keys?  We keep hearing that we’ve got to have the converter box by Feb 09. Like the radar loop, we have to have cable or satellite to get anything. Screw paying for a government mandated program again and not being able to get a signal from the mainland. Let's protest. We want free TV!

[Angry Musician] I sure would like to know more about the details on this one.  I know it is not me because I already left. The musician jobs were disappearing faster than Bud Lights, so what is up?





[No Wee Wee] Note to self: if I ever have surgery I intend to grab the doctor by the collar and say vigorously to him, "No matter what happens, don't you cut off my penis." Malpractice: Man Sues Doctors For Amputating Penis

[Conspiracy] I have never gotten a bug, I don’t believe in them. If bugs or viruses do exist, who better to know how to create them than McAfee or Norton. Think about that. I'm sure they have a back room where they creates their own business.
[Free Virus Protection] Deer Editor, All these years that's what you've always said you use. Ever heard the truism  “You get what you pay for?” Now you know why it's best to invest a little to protect what is precious to you - and that's a lot! If it's free it's, well,  free and suspect and likely second or third rate and, well, free. If it's free it's for me, but only happy hour beer not PC protection.

Cnet.com (and likely many other reliable sites) will provide you with protection alternatives that actually will work. Check it out. It won't cost you $239 to be safe.

What will 700 billion dollars buy? -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com



[What is malware] Lousy Tech Support:  Anything that the bad guys download and install on your operating system like viruses, Trojan Horses and worms--bad stuff.
Mr Obama, could you help me please find these things of yours?
1. Occidental College records - - Not released
2. Columbia College records - - Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper - - "not available"
4. Harvard College records - - Not released
5. Selective Service Registration - - Not released
6. Medical records -- Not released
7. Illinois State Senate schedule - - "not available"
8. Law practice client list - - Not released
9. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate - - Not released
10. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth - - Not released
11. Harvard Law Review articles published - - None
12. University of Chicago scholarly articles - - None
13. Your Record of baptism - - Not released or "not available"
14. Your Illinois State Senate records - -"not available"

[High Tides] Has anyone else noticed how high the high tides have been in recent months?  And I'm not talking about the period around the full moon.  The saltwater came up into the street today, and most days, it is within one foot of my seawall.  It has never been this high; the full moon was ten days ago. This is a good time to explore the back country.

[Murphy's Magic Shoes] He went out of business because his shoes lasted forever.




[World's toughest job] How about being the guy who has to put the wup-ass into the can?
[Malware] You could spare yourself a lot of trouble by giving up on Windows.  Just try a MAC environment.  You will be amazed.  Plus you can do a much better job serving the needs of your readers by eliminating the dreaded BS that you complain about everyday.  WE don't have these problems and they really should be a thing of the past.  Your site is not a bank or a medical information site.  Security isn't in the equation at all.  You have no security actually - and you have the gall to ask people for their credit card numbers on an unsecure (no SSL) transaction.  Windows needs 24 hour baby sitting. There is always something going wrong.  Life is too short to waste time on BS.  Plus, quit whining!




[Phone Booth Stuffing] How do I know America is getting obese? The world record for phone booth stuffing was set in 1957.

[Heather Carruthers] I spent a few minutes today going over Heather Carruthers contribution list. Are we going to allow businesses and out-of-towner’s to elect Heather? That tells me the business owner's have a stake in the race--more development or an increase for their business.  Is that what we want for our home town, more development?  Ed Swift is getting over $750,000 from shuttling passengers from the cruise ships and he was a backer of Spehar's and from what I am hearing Swift has donated to Caruthers’s campaign through other people. Watch out! Do we have to support someone that is bought and paid for by the Safe Harbor developers?  Do we want someone that, if necessary, will allow development that will exceed our 35 foot height limit? 

We have to support someone that is not going to go along with all the new development in the Florida Keys, someone who likes re-development, someone who is born and raised in Florida, someone whose job it is to work with Land Development Regulations on a daily bases, someone who needs funds to buy signs, someone who needs money to run up and down the roads to attend forums, someone that is family oriented. Help and support someone like Carlos Rojas who meets all the above criteria. ~sonnyboy1234@hotmail.com

Party tomorrow to benefit the Bat Tower Fantasy Fest Float. We are looking to raise money Saturday night, September 27th at the Sugarloaf Lodge Tiki Bar from 7:30 to 10:30 PM. Terry Cassidy and Ron Baumann will be performing.  There will be a 50/50 drawing and we will be auctioning off a prime spot on the float to the lucky winner! We would also like to extend a heart felt Thank you to our sponsors:  Rudy Krause Construction, Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, Big Pine Key Volunteer Fire Department, Sugarloaf Volunteer Fire Department.

[If Ike had hit the Keys they would be gone] George was not a direct hit, the eye was close, but south of us and the water was pushed out in the open water with some flooding.  If the eye crosses the Keys the wall of water in front of the storm will be the real issue.  A shelter for a cat 5 might be a good idea but will it be water proof and where would the air come from if you’re in there for 36 hours?   If Wilma created two 40 foot waves in the Gulf what would a cat 5 produce?








[That explains exactly why the Republicans should be in control] This one is as funny as the "Bush is the greatest president ever" posting. Keep the humor coming, God knows we need it the way the country is going.

[Debate Canceled] If McCain can’t handle two crisis at the same time he’d better look for another job. The Presidency is always back to back crisis.

[Malware] The only place I open photos and videos is this website.  I got a worm.  My daughter who works in computers said it came from opening a photo.  I lost all kinds of things on my computer.  I learned two things.  Don’t open anything and back up everything. (Ed: Isn’t it awful? We scan everything before we post it, but the jerks are smarter than us.)

A poster was slamming Obama for not dropping everything he was doing and running to Washington like John McCain. It turns out when the President asked him to come he dropped everything to help the president but they reached a decision hours before the President's meeting with them. In other words, Obama was right yet again when he said that the deal is almost done so it would be a waste of time running to Washington and delaying the debate. Imagine that. A Presidential hopeful that can think more then 24 hours ahead. Now that’s a change in Washington thinking. And by the way, didn't the President still take a month off for summer vacation in Crawford Texas at the beginning of the Iraq war when American troops were dying? Lets be honest, he didn't run back to Washington. He put more hot dogs on the grill and said "I can work from here". Sorry McCain your publicity stunt didn't work.


[Nanny State] I’ve been watching bankers and others speak anecdotally about the bad loans. They are all saying that they knew the loans were bad, but they also knew the government would bail them out. I'm not voting for anyone who's saying yes to this bailout.

[Malware opening an image] That cannot happen. No code can be in an image file. That person must have had other code in the downloaded attachment. So much for his Virus/Spam/Malware software!




[Radar Loop] For those of you that don’t have this on your TV there’s always the internet. Current Key West Nexrad Radar Map : Weather Underground

[Peace Pole] I carry one around in my jeans.

[Buy Tickets Here] Cheech & Chong - Light Up America Concert Tickets - The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater Miami Beach, FL | .





[72 year old McCain] Hey pal, don't be telling us what people in this age group like or don't like. I am a hell of a lot older than McCain and I am still very interested in what happens after 7P.M. and I have acquired a lot of wisdom along the way that you young un's just wish you had. So just lay off the cheap shots. Okay?

The thing I hate about religion is, there's no other way to make that kind of money. ~Rev. Baker

It's official!  The Python Patrol TV spot that was filmed in Key Largo back in May will be airing this coming Monday on Planet Green’s show G-Word, September 29th at 7 pm.  Make sure to check local listings because sometimes things change last minute.






A tax payer voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

[Moving to Cuba where there are fewer Hispanic people] I got a chuckle out of that. Sorry about your bike. I'll bet if we did an accurate head count, America does have more Cubans than Cuba.

[Obama Baby Killer] A young woman in her third trimester of an unwanted pregnancy elected to terminate that pregnancy.  The abortion was a success, the fetus was expelled.  The fetus presented as a live, but injured and screaming baby girl.  The live birth faced the attending medical staff with a legal and ethical dilemma of Gordian proportions.  Should they treat the infant to ease her pain and save her life? Should they deny her treatment thus ensuring that she would languish and die? Does the newborn girl, have civil rights, i.e. the right to life. In 2001, 2002, and 2003, Obama voted to deny civil rights, the right to life, to babies born in such circumstances.

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Friday September 26, 2008

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Thursday September 25, 2008



[Malware] (Ed: One of you beloved buggers gave us malware attached to one of your innocent pictures. You owe us $239.00 and three hours time this morning that we were with Dell tech support. I hate computers. That's why we are late publishing. We still can't publish links to your videos so that's why they are not appearing today.)

[Term Limits] I really liked yesterday’s idea of having graduated voter approval for politicians returning to office. That would cut down on the corruption popular with long serving politicians.

You can’t argue with the notion of buying real estate with little or no money down. It gives you a decent shot at making serious bucks with little risk.  On the other hand, you shouldn’t cry, whine, and demand that you should recover any losses that you might have because of a change in the market or your personal earnings or any inability to pay the mortgage. Nor should pubic money subsidize you.  That holds if the property is your personal residence or if it’s nothing but investment property. If you can’t make the payments, sell, move, or otherwise dispose of the property. Losses should be yours alone, not to be reimbursed by public money.


[Friday Debate] McCain wants to postpone tomorrow’s debate so he can go back to Washington and join the others in solving the problem. Obama says this is when you need leadership  and  can continue the campaign and work on the solution at the same time. McCain is truing to bailout himself.

[Bailout] Are they crazy, rushing $700 billion through Congress like that? Let’s have a little discourse. I smell corruption and quick profits in the air. I think a fast resolution will make a bunch of corporations rich and a bigger bunch of Americans poorer.




My fingers are dyslexic. Thank god for spell check.

[The Gang of Three Is Dead]  Long Live the Gang of Three!  So Dixie and Sonny are lame ducks? Good riddance.  But the election of Kim Wigington to the County Commission will create a new gang of three consisting of herself, George Neugent and Sylvia Murphy.  The ties between them are strong and no doubt they would vote along the same lines.  What will the platform be for this new gang? And what shall we agree to call them so we won’t confuse the new gang with the last one.



[Bailout] For the life of me I can’t understand why we have to rush into the bailout. I spend more time buying a computer than spending $700 big ones. I watched all the programs and watched the President, but I still don’t quite understand this mess. Until more people understand what’s going on I think we should proceed with caution. It bothers me that so few Americans understand the problem and consequences of this bailout and the politicians are rushing to spend the money by tomorrow. It doesn’t make sense.

[Bailout] You know we’re in trouble when the president calls both candidates to Washington for a ten o’clock meeting today. Woah!



[National Center For Public Policy] Worthy site for information.  http://www.nationalcenter.org/

[Sheriff Race] There was a comment made about the pending Sheriff's Office race, and why should one person be elected over the other. Think of it this way fellow citizen, the current administration at the Sheriff's Office is much like a family of spoiled adult children waiting for Daddy (Roth) to move along so that they can inherit the kingdom.  People are already betting on who will be canned when big brother takes the riegns. These people have had control for nearly twenty years. Isn't it time for a change? Perhaps you are not aware of what the DEA has done for Monroe County, but I bet that the Sheriff does. Or at least he knows what they have tried to do for this county.






[Magic Shoes] Does anyone remember Murphy who used to make Murphy's Magic Shoes in Key West in the 1970s? They were great comfortable shoes and lasted almost forever.

[What Comment] I want to retract my comment from the Coconut Telegraph. If you would spare me. Please
[Debate] No wonder McCain canceled the debate set for tomorrow. Just last week he said that our economy was in good shape.





Chicago is no better for Obama's service.

Sheriff Rick give his support to Capt Bob for sheriff today on US1 radio. There will a get together at Coconuts this Sunday for Bob. Stop by and meet him and ask any questions that you have. Who would have thunk, a Piner being Sheriff of Monroe County!

[Road Closings] SR-5 (US-1/Overseas Highway) (MM 35.28-MM 36.56- Bahia Honda Bridge) One Lane will be closed during the day Monday-Friday on the southbound Bahia Honda Bridge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please obey the speed limit. For more information call 305-797-0962; or contact us via email at info@fdotmonroe.com.

SR-5 (US-1/Overseas Highway)- Cudjoe Key (MM 20.8 to MM 23.0); From a PT. S. of Drost Dr. to a PT. N. of Cut Throat Dr.) Only one direction of traffic will be closed at any one time during milling & paving operations Sunday - Thursday (No work will be performed on Fridays & Saturdays) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Please obey the speed limit. For more information call 305-797-0962; or contact us via email at info@fdotmonroe.com.

SR-5 (US-1/Overseas Highway) - Big Coppitt Key (MM 9.744 to MM 10.887); From Rockland Channel Bridge to Old Boca Chica Channel. Only one direction of traffic will be closed at any one time during milling & paving operations Sunday - Thursday (No work will be performed on Fridays & Saturdays) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Please obey the speed limit. For more information call 305-797-0962; or contact us via email at info@fdotmonroe.com.

State Road 5 (US 1/North Roosevelt Boulevard/Overseas Highway). One northbound lane and one southbound lane on US 1 from mile marker 86.8 to mile marker 90.0 will be closed weeknights, from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM, September 28, 2008 through December 12, 2008.

The southbound lanes on the Indian Key Bridge (mile marker 78) will be shifted from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, October 1, 2008. One northbound lane and one southbound lane on US 1 from mile marker 36.573 to mile marker 38.391 will be closed weeknights, from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM, October 5, 2008 through December 4, 2008.

The northbound lane on Whitehead Street at Southard Street will be closed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, September 25, 2008. AT&T crews will be performing utility work.



[Love] When I am speechless, it's not because I have nothing to say; it's because words can't express true love."

Sarah Palin did misspeak, her running mate is a damn dinosaur.

The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects.  ~Lord Jeffrey


[Computer Club] Our next meeting of the Big Pine Computer Club is coming up this Saturday, September 27, 10 am at the Big Pine library in the back. Hope to see you there. Bring us your problems.
[Bailout] Déjà vu to1989--President Bush unveils S&L bailout plan in February.  
What is important to note about the S&L scandal is that it was the largest theft in the history of the world and US tax payers are who were robbed. John McCain was cleared of having acted improperly but was criticized for having exercised poor judgment. http://rationalrevolution.net/war/bush_family_and_the_s.htm




Press 1 for English http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=sEJfS1v-fU0

[There must be an alternative to spending our $700 billion] There sure is! We can stop paying aid to Israel, Africa, and two dozen other s**t-hole countries just to keep them "friends". We can stop selling our oil to other countries. We can stop paying all illegals free benefits that are more than we could make in our life times. We can stop all the con jobs the politicians shove down our throats. Want more truths?

[Recipe of the Day] Iguana Stew (Choco Indian recipe)

Run out and catch yourself a gravid female iguana.
Skin it, removing the insides and saving the eggs, including the yellow ones and the heart and liver. Dismember the iguana by cutting it down the spine, dividing the halves into three pieces and the legs in two.

Place the meat in a pot of heated coconut oil and brown it lightly.

Drop in hot pepper and garlic to taste, and brown a little longer.

In another pot, boil eggs in their shells for 1/2 an hour w/chili pepper.
(Iguana eggs, boiled for 10 minutes and then sun dried have a cheese-like flavor and are relished by all Darienites).

Drain and add to the meat along with the diced liver, heart, and yellow eggs. Cook until the broth has all but disappeared. Serve with rice and beans.

From the Panama Canal Review Special Edition, 1973

[Divided States of America] An election this close creates a sad situation. Regardless of who wins, half of our country will be unhappy. We call ourselves the United States of America but it seems lately we have become the Divided States of America. In the big picture that's not a recipe for success. You can bet the rest of the world is watching us as we expose a great weakness.











[Peace Pole] I  heard that there used to be one at Bahia Honda State park. Peace Pole Project

Biden did indeed screw up but at least he knows the difference between a Shia and a Sunni. John McCain needs Lieberman next to him when he speaks to correct him. It’s kind of an important fact to know if you're trying to become the Commander-in-Chief with 2 wars going on.

[Bicycle Stolen] I have made my third attempt at leaving the keys.  I never seemed to be able to make a living there and the nicest thing about the keys is going out on a boat. Well, I never had a boat. I do not drink much either. It is sure beautiful in the keys. I have lived on Big Pine for about 5 years after spending most of my life up north.  So I am in Orlando now for three weeks. The other day I am looking off my balcony and commented to myself, "Gee, that kid has a bike pretty similar to mine".  Yep, you guessed it. It was mine. During the 5 years in the keys I never locked my bike or my door, for that matter, and here I am in Orlando and my locked bike that I just bought from Big Pine Bike shop is gone in 60 seconds. I am thinking of moving to Cuba where there are fewer Hispanic people.  The moral of this story is: the palm frond is always greener or something like that.

[Comcast add Radar Loop] It will be no problem, but it will just cost us $20 more a month.





[Concealed weapon] It is better to have and not need than to need and not have.

[Obama] he arrogance and abysmal lack of fundamental judgment of Barak Hussein Obama knows no bounds. About an hour before this was written Senator McCain announced that he was putting all of his campaign efforts on hold, including the scheduled Friday debate. He will proceed to DC and participate in the process of crafting the Fannie and Freddie repair legislation. Politicos and experts of all stripes have said that the current crisis may equal that of the days leading up to the stock market crash of '29, and it is a least as serious as the crash of Black Monday ’87.  McCain has expressed glee at the prospect of debating with Obama, in fact he challenged Obama to a series of at least 10 informal town hall debates, McCain even offered to provide transportation for both of them. Obama begged off. McCain honors his oath and his obligation to the nation he serves above the pursuit of his campaign.

Obama is of a different view.  The F/F legislation is most important item of legislation that this Congress will consider; it will fundamentally change our economy, the way we do business, and our foreign standing. If the law is not skillfully crafted our nation will suffer grievously.  Obama has decided to demur, he will ignore the crisis, he will continue to campaign. Obama is telling us that his ambition holds a higher priority in his heart than does the well being of this nation. Moments ago I heard him say that he is in routine telephone contact with Congressional leaders, and that he has told them “if they need me, they can call me!”. Shame on Obama.


[Weather radar]  Before I jump on my motorcycle and ride down the Keys to work in the morning, I check the weather radar on NOAA's website here:  http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=byx&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no
[What email] I ask that you not use my name from my prior e-mail.

[Ike Slide Show] http://www.click2houston.com/slideshow/news/17466546/detail.html

The Mark Kohl web site has been around for a long time now.  The author coined the "Dump Kohl" phrase and has been trying to raise public awareness of the blunders of our local prosecutor for years.  The person who accused the site of being hacked is wrong.

[$228 Million Monroe County School Budget Approved] They've been spending the money since July, but the School Board members approved the district's 2008-09 budget Tuesday night during their meeting at Coral Shores High School. It totals about $228 million, the largest part of which goes toward school construction, maintenance and other capital projects.

The board and Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo, however, received a tongue-lashing from Fred Colvard, former principal of Marathon High School and a candidate for Acevedo's seat on Nov. 4. He blasted them for what he called years of deficit spending.

"Our revenue is $88 million plus and our expenses are around $90 million," Colvard said. "I'm worried; I don't want us to lose what we have in this county. We're operating in the red." ~Key West Citizen

$228,000,000 total tax dollars divided by 8231 students equals $27,000 per child. Wow! The School Board voted 4 to 1 to approve. The Dissenting vote was from School Board Member John Dick. Superintendent candidate Fred Colvard is right, we are in deep shite. If this continues we may need Mario DeGenero's airport casino hotels to finance the school budget. Incumbent Randy Acevedo needs a good spanking and to go the route that his cohorts Dixie and Sonny went '"early retirement". Maybe Randy can get a job managing the Hickory House restaurant!  ~howmuchnow@lycos.com




A trailer full of tires with a flat tire is: tirony.

[Animal Cruelty] A man has been fined £400 for throwing his wife's cat out of the house for urinating in his briefcase. Ananova - Man fined for putting out wife's cat



Toilet facilities are being built at London's Olympic Park so Muslims will not have to face Mecca while sitting on the loo. London's Olympic Park toilets to turn away from Mecca out of respect for Islamic law | Mail Online

McCain’s suspending the debate is wrong. This is excatly the time whe want to see them—in the middle of a monumental crisis. This could be the make it of brake it moment of the election. I think McCain “blinked”.



[Reef Protects Us] The reefs and shallow waters around us do protect us better than the much deeper waters off Texas and Louisiana. I still think it's the luck of the draw which houses and areas get hit harder and what stands and doesn't.

There's a list of testimonials for Randy Acevedo going around that accompanies an invitation to a campaign event.  If you look at it closely, it's a trip!  A good chunk of the people singing his praises are folks that he either hired or promoted.  No surprise they think he's great.  What's even better is that "testimonial" is spelled wrong. 

[Bailout] The powerful giving money to the rich.



[Shop Goodwill Online] It’s a win-win situation. shopgoodwill.com - Categories

[Keys Hurricane] It would take a cat 4 to do that damage in the keys. We don't get the surge because of the reefs. The keys have had worse than that. Look at what's still here from the early 1900s. I'll stay for a cat 4, no problem.

[Angry Musician] I think  it shows a total lack of class how you, a local musician, can call in a lie to get a gig, putting other musicians, some of whom have kids, out of work. Your recent separation is something of your own creation and the fact that you would lie and say otherwise so folks will feel sorry for you, thus playing people for fools, really speaks volumes about your character and about the person you really are. A liar, a cheat, and a thief.
[Healthcare Workers Compare The Candidates] As nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers, our stake in the presidential election this fall is especially high. That’s why we need to be as informed as possible for the upcoming election – so we can make the right decisions for our families, our patients, and our careers. Compare the candidates'

The first country leader to be stripped of an honorary degree by the University of Edinburgh is the scumbag dictator of Zimbabwe, Dr. Robert Mugabe. This scumbag was responsible for more than 20,000 deaths.  His North Korean trained terror gangs carried out the murders in Matabele Land on his orders. All this happened the same year he received the honors. "We did not know of this atrocity when the Honorary Degree was bestowed." Stated by the Dean of the University.


Tony Blair highly approved the action of the university, Michigan State University, and Boston University soon to follow suit. Crazy Bob was asked to make a comment; "It is the work of Neo-Colonialists." Who else you communist scumbag?

[No campaigning while in office] Remove lawmakers elected to represent their states or districts and then spend 2 years campaigning for a higher office. Those seeking that higher office neglect the job they were elected to do. They should spend their time 100% on the issues of their voters. Washington must start living and sharing the same reality they've dealt us. Do your job or move on!

[Cape Air] Today’s Key West Citizen Editorial is about the Cape Air deal the County Commission approved at its last meeting. In return for Cape Air providing three 9-passenger Cessna 409 flights a day from Ft. Myers into Marathon and back to Ft. Meyers, Monroe County and Marathon private interests will go halves on a $250,000 guarantee to Cape Air, should it not fly at least six passengers per trip into and out of Marathon, per day, from mid-December 2008 through April 2009.

The editorial left me astounded. Astounded because it does not mention that it’s going to cost the county, through its airport’s funds, $100,000 to bring the Marathon airport’s security check-in up to Cape Air’s standards, so its passengers can deplane into a secure area in Ft. Myers and not have to go through security again. Astounded because I myself told the Citizen Editorial Board about the $100,000 security upgrade two days ago, when they interviewed me as a county commission candidate.

I told the Editorial Board everything that had happened around Cape Air at that county commission meeting. I described my doing royal battle with the commissioners over approving yet another speculative Marathon airline venture in a time of extreme county financial hardship. I said the commissioners’ decision was ridiculous and mismanagement. I said the same exact deal had been killed at the previous county commission meeting, after which our director of airports, Peter Horton, told the Marathon private interests that they were going have to put up the entire $250,000 guarantee if they wanted the Cape Air deal to fly. Peter told me this himself, I told the Editorial Board.

I told the Editorial Board that County Commissioner George Neugent, who had been strongly opposed to the Cape Air deal the first time, changed his mind after talking with David Rice, who, like George, lives in Marathon. I told The Editorial Board that I at least had expected Commissioner Sylvia Murphy to vote against the Cape Air deal, but after she learned from Peter Horton that the funding could come out of the airport’s unused security funds and not the County General Fund, she voted for it.

I told the Editorial Board that the commissioners never considered the $100,000 additional security upgrade, when they made their decision, and that I asked them to go back and deliberate all over again, and they looked at me like I was a toad. I told the Editorial Board that I told the commissioners two of them (Neugent and DiGennaro) lived in Marathon and had a conflict of interest and should not even have participated in the decision.

I told the Editorial Board that the $100,000 in the airport funds was the county’s money, and if the airport funds had more money than needed, the excess should be given back to the county. I told the Editorial Board that the books had been cooked. The Cape Air deal was rigged. The Sunshine Laws surely were violated. I said all five county commissioners needed to be replaced. And I said this was an example of what it would be like if I was on the county commission. I then told the Editorial Board that the Citizen had reported nothing of what really had happened around the Cape Air deal at the last county commission meeting.


If you actually believe this “newspaper” gives a rat’s ass for accurate and tough journalism, or about what is best for this county, then you just fell off the conch truck.

Sloan Bashinsky, non-affiliated county commission candidate, District 3 Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel




Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.  ~Mark Twain

How out of touch is John McCain?  Last week he announced the economy is "fundamentally sound."  This week he wants to call off the presidential campaign so he can help the Republicans bail out the rich with a socialistic plan to nationalize financial institutions and give our tax money to investment bankers.  Kind of a reverse Robin Hood plan for Republicans.


I'm sure McCain is tired of this campaign.  He's 72 for chrissakes.  Look around at the 72-year-olds that you know.  At that age you get tired easily and you don't care about much that occurs after 7 p.m.  You have to hand it to him for lasting this long. Even when McCain was younger he had a short attention span.  When wife Cindy got into drug trouble with the Feds, he professed not to have known that she was a drug addict or that she was stealing prescriptions.

Oh, well.  I'll vote for him anyway.  He was a P.O.W.


[Jackson Pollock] Go crazy with your mouse clicking and dragging and then press any key to sign your work. Jackson Pollock by Miltos Manetas, original design by Stamen

[We have more than one] Webmaster, I don't want to publish any comments at all. I was mad before. please spare me on this.







The next Big Pine Key Computer Club meeting is coming up this Saturday, September 27, 10 am at the Big Pine library. Hope to see you there. Bring us your problems.

Customers and power workers hit a mutual spark of admiration http://hcnonline.com/articles/2008/09/24/conroe_courier/news/workers0924.txt

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Thursday September 25, 2008

 

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Wednesday September 24, 2008

[First Hand Report From Our Texas Entertainment Editor] It's really cool seeing all the power trucks from many states cruising around fixing things!  I've spotted VA, MI, lots of FL, even one from Ontario.  Those guys are doing 16 hour shifts every day trying to get everybody back on line.  We were in town one night when they knocked off for the day; there was a convoy of power trucks several miles long headed back to the KOA campground.  I guess there's another huge group camping at the high school and another at the Convention Center.  They have big kitchen tents set up to cook meals for the crews. Our next door neighbor is a phone lineman and he’s having 12 hour mandatory over time days every day.  They got off at 1pm Sunday for a break (he was out trying to clean up his own yard) then he was back to the truck the next morning. 

We're still getting extended coverage of the cleanup/recovery.  I've heard reports that from 50-150 people are missing off Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula, so that's kind of an unknown.  There are park rangers and deputies out searching the debris fields along all beaches and anywhere else to see if they find any bodies. If those people sat it out they may be gone for good out to the Gulf. One guy (ex-sailor) stayed home and ended up riding his refrigerator out to sea and somebody's patio table back sort of like a boogie board. That’ll make a good story, and he's got the scrapes and dings on himself to prove it. You know some of those people who made the same decision would not have the same luck. So far there have been 7 bodies found on Galveston, that's amazingly low. 

My sister said their house had no damage at all and neither did we.  Some of our trees are down, others were weakened and had to be taken down, but it's already taken care of and we're pretty much back to normal.  It took us a few days of intensive raking, burning, etc. Lots of people that are missing roofs or whole houses have a long way to go. 

This morning they're letting people come back to the east end of Galveston where there's a lot more to salvage.  The west end people can "look and leave", meaning off the island by curfew.  That's a tough call, too.  Lots of those people could be back there pitching in on the cleanup and bettering the situation. You don't need the ones back who want to sit and wail for the cameras, begging for help.  They can more easily be taken care of on the mainland for now and still find their photo ops.  Luckily they seem to be a tiny minority in this event.  There's tons of volunteers clearing their own neighborhoods and helping each other, even when their own situation is a mess.  It's been a completely different atmosphere than Katrina, thank heavens!
[Party Time] Local bar owner, Larry Gardner was arrested at 3am this morning in the parking lot of Bare Assets Ti**y Bar in Key West after hitting a man with his Cadillac then hitting another car while trying to pin the man between the two cars. Police found Gardner's wedding ring and a small bag of cocaine in his pocket.

[FIRM] As someone who works in the insurance field, I was impressed with what Ms. Carruthers said on US 1 radio, about Citizens and the strides that FIRM has made in educating the state legislator in order to have our rates reduced dramatically in Monroe County. (I especially like the part that the state is recognizing the fact that if a large storm with a direct hit came our way, wind would not be the issue that takes us out, but flooding)  I would imagine that there were men that Ms Carruthers had to deal with, and work with, in order to attain these reductions on behalf of all Monroe County citizens.  I don't care about Pearl's and their rules, I want someone with common sense and backbone to work for my money.  If you don't like her due to her business, give back your wind refunds and go live somewhere else.

[Bailout]  There must be an alternative to spending our $700 billion in the largest giveaway in world history. I like the idea of waiving the interest and rewriting those shaky loans to get rid of the adjustable rates. I’d rather bail out the average Joe than the anonymous corporation.




[Bailout] The FBI said 26 companies are being investigated for fraud connected to the banking crisis.

[Term Limits] Here’s a way to rid us of gray beard politicians who make a career of feeding at the public trough. Let’s institute a new kind of term limit. This new plan would permit any office holder one shot at re-election under the current rules.  After 2 terms the politico could run for a third term, but he/she would have to get a super majority of 60% of the votes cast. He/she could again run for a 4th  or further consecutive terms, but would have to get a super majority of 75% of the votes cast.

During the more than 50 years of living in these wonderful Florida Keys I’ve never written a letter to the editor. Although I must admit there were numerous times when I didn't agree with certain happenings taking place in our islands. I do pride myself on keeping in tune with local news and elections. Recently, a charter boat captain friend of mine sent me a website address to look at. It was for Dr. Fred Colvard, a candidate for Superintendent of Monroe County Schools in November’s elections. After looking over Dr. Colvard's website, the following thought came to mind, "How did we in the Florida Keys, get lucky enough to have someone of his caliber and qualifications run for such an important position as Superintendent of Schools?" My wife, Jeannine, agreed. She said, "I wish we’d had a Superintendent with Dr. Colvard’s qualifications when my children went to school."


If all Key’s voters reviewed his website they will no doubt feel as we do; that the educational experience and background this man will bring to our school district is outstanding. http://www.votefredcolvard.com



The most spam I receive is (after making my thing longer and harder) for replica watches. I didn’t realize that watches were still so popular considering that just about every modern device has a built in clock. What do I know, I’ve been in the Keys too long.

[Bailout] I’m not going to blame the homeowners for taking loans they couldn’t afford. Everyone tries to get ahead. If someone is giving you an opportunity to buy a great home for almost nothing—you take it. These borrowers were very aware that home prices were rising faster than Galveston flood water and they wanted to ride the tide. It was their one big chance to become financially secure. Everyone else was doing it, so it must be a good idea. Buy low, sell high--they thought!

It’s exactly the same thing that happened and cause the internet bubble crash in 2000. Dummies like me were buying stocks and making free money for doing nothing. Why not me, even if I didn’t know how the market worked. Who cares, it must be all right, all my friends were doing it and making money. I’d be a fool not to invest.






[Goodnight Sweetheart, Doggy Bedtime] I dozed off watching this cute little video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEWcfiMYA4A

[McCoy Suit] The County has insurance to protect employees from things related to their jobs, not extra curricular activities like trying to get laid!



[Dressing Review] That was a totally spot on review of Slice of Paradise's blue cheese dressing. It is the bomb! I sometimes ask for extry, it's that good. They should sell it by the bottle. But what became of the darling delivery dude with the chubby cheeks? I miss him.

[Ike] Today, two weeks after evacuating Galveston Is, residents are allowed to return home or what’s left of home.







Planning a trip? Check on the country for required vaccinations  http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationList.aspx

Franklin Raines who made mega millions for himself while mismanaging Fannie Mae into a financial disaster is now managing Obama's presidential bid.

Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said today’s leaders should take a lesson from the history books and follow fellow Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt’s response to a financial crisis.  He said, “When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.”

The problem with that statement is that Herbert Hoover was in office when the stock market crashed in October 1929. There also was no television at the time; TV wasn’t introduced to the public until a decade later.  Let's see how the Obama camp spins this one!   And the Dems are  howling that McCain is out of touch. 

[Bailout] I watched the hearings on the financial bailout yesterday and couldn’t understand a thing. No wonder we’re in so much trouble. Every item was so convoluted at to be almost impossible to understand.


[Wrong Date] I'm retired I don't need, nor do I care what the date is.  I don't wear a watch either.  If I can see--it's daytime.  If not--it's night. Deer editor must be our leader!

[Luddite] Why do most photographers use digital cameras? Because people today have no taste, no style, no quality and because we all have been dumbed down to the level of credit card consumers not knowing what is good or junk. 


A Vietnam Veteran Fundraiser in memory of Allen H. Blacklock Jr, who died of agent orange will be held at the Good Food Conspiracy Health Food Store on Saturday, December 13 from 3-10 p.m. Located on Big Pine Key at MM 30.2. Raffle. Reflexology. Massage. Tarot card readings. Live music. Bring a canned good for the local Food Pantry.  Bulletin Board

[Blame Clinton] Let's run down the most recent crying about Bill Clinton who’s been gone for almost 10 years. He forced John McCain to help deregulate the banking industry by taking down the barriers that prevented banking industries from going into insurance and other industries. If you don’t believe that look up the McCain/Graham bill taking away the safe guards that were in place. Clinton sent American troops into Iraq based on lies, Clinton gave the terrorist rides to the airport on 9/11, Clinton is responsible for the huge increase in the 8 years of business' outsourcing American jobs. Clinton was actually at the St. Valentines day massacre, Clinton was in the bunker with Adolph Hitler, he went to school with Pontius Pilot, Clinton also was responsible for the Chicago Black Soxs throwing the World Series long ago, Slick Willie also is destroying the ozone layer and most recently is solely responsible for the Chinese milk disgrace. Clinton also was the one that stood on the iceberg and drove a huge pick into the Titanic and was responsible for its sinking. Is that it?

Yet his time as President still stood head and shoulders above the horrible terms of "dubya" and he did reign over the greatest economy and the smallest national debt in history. That damn Clinton, he’s been busy the last 100 years. If only he wouldn’t have killed off the dinosaurs all by himself. 






It's probably appropriate for the Commissioners to have "Errors & Omissions" insurance.  If we paid for a policy that will defend Sonny in the case of criminal behavior, misfeasance, or malfeasance--we got hosed.

[Bailout] I'm not happy about the taxpayers having to rescue the lenders who made risky loans to borrowers with questionable credit histories. However, no one is taking the actual homeowners to task. Did the borrowers not realize what exactly an adjustable rate mortgage is? Is there no accountability for poor decision making? I'm sorry that people are losing their homes but that's part of the deal when they signed on the dotted line. I don't think that the taxpayers are obligated to rescue all those who took those cheap ARM loans.

[Sheriff Race] Yesterday’s Coconut Telegraph contained an interesting lament about the Sheriff’s race. The lamenter wrote that, on the one hand, we have Capt. Bob Peryam as a choice for our next sheriff. Bob, who is married and talks a lot in his campaign about family values, who courted a young woman out of his sheriff cruiser and was caught having sex with her by her mother in her mother’s home, and then her mother and father were threatened by Bob and his sheriff cronies. Then the lamenter wrote that, on the other hand, we have former local DEA head Ken Davis as a choice for our next sheriff. Ken who made no drug cases, but he did not run around on his wife and maybe that qualifies him to be our next sheriff.

Now what is interesting about this lament are two things. The first thing is that the lamenter does not even mention Sandy Downs, who also is running for sheriff. Whether this is an indication of the lamenter’s ignorance, or whether it simply indicates the lamenter’s view that Sandy isn’t an option for our next sheriff, I do not know, because the lamenter left that for readers to speculate. I suppose it could go either way. The other interesting thing about the lament is that the lamenter apparently does not know, or forgot, or never paid attention to the fact that it was Sandy who, after speaking with the mother on the telephone and getting confirmation, blew the lid off Bob Peryam’s philandering, which eventually led to Key West the Newspaper getting a copy of the mother’s handwritten complaint against Bob Peryam filed with the Sheriff’s Office and giving it to Sandy, who gave it to me after she typed it up, and then I published it. And it was Sandy who dug around and discovered Ken Davis had not made any cases, and I reported that, too.

All the while, the Key West Citizen and the Keynoter were mum as church mice, except for the various times they did everything they could to malign Sandy. She was maligned plenty on the Coconut Telegraph too. The maligning started shortly after her campaign website, sandyforsheriff.com, designed and brought online by the host of bigpinekey.com, was hacked the day it went online, and the “My experience with injustice” file that blew the lid off the Sheriff’s Office was destroyed. Same day, the Coconut Telegraph itself was hacked and utterly destroyed. When the host, who is a good friend of mine, put the Coconut Telegraph back together and online, people wrote in that Sandy, who knew nothing about websites, had hacked not only her own website but also the Coconut Telegraph, which was protected by serious firewalls, leaving its host bewildered about how it was even hacked to begin with. Whoever did it was a super hacker, the kind one might find in a sheriff department, or in the CIA. But not the kind one might find in the F.B.I., which only after serious arm-twisting by Sandy. put a couple of its own Internet sleuths on the case, who were unable to trace the threads of the crime back to the hacker. All cause for a tremendous sense of well-being for people who rely on the F.B.I. to track down terrorists who use the Internet.

Whatever, I found myself musing about what I figure Sandy will do if she is our sheriff…Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel
Meet and greet Sheriff candidate Capt. Bob Peryam at Coconuts Sunday, Sept. 28  Bulletin Board



Hey Comcast, can we have a 24/7 Radar Loop? I want it too.

The Democrats do indeed have a majority in Congress, however if they all vote along party lines the Dems lose because you need an overriding majority and they don’t have enough to push through legislation. But what the hell, why let facts matter? The Dems do not have a vast enough majority. At least not yet. Imagine what great things could be accomplished with a brilliant president and a Democrat Congress in total control.

[Flag Burning] The next time American flag supporters see Obama and Biden with backdrops of American flags, think about this: The Senate rejected a flag desecration amendment by lacking one “Yes” vote. Obama and Biden both voted no! Should the president and VP of America support desecration of their country's flag, while telling voters they love and respect it?  http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/109/senate/2/votes/189/
Night Walk, Big Pine Key

Oblivious, the dog pants
hard in heavy air,
nose eager for exotic scent
left behind by passing storms.

While all around us a show
of light and sleight of wing,
of flash and swoop,
of dip and dive.

The night so dark
we cannot see
our hands or feet in front of us
but for the fireflies' flirtatious flight.

On line and limb
they cling and spring
to shirt, hair
and back again.

 		 The luminescence of their courtship
fills the night surrounding us.
Fast flicker in the dark
while a chorus of crickets cheers them on.

I have no need
as I once did
to capture them
inside a jar,

pretend that I could
own a star
like cat
or dog.

Instead, I'd rather
take your hand,
the one I cannot see
but know is there.

The stars and you
within my reach.



[Bailout] We do have to bailout those money creeps, but we don't have to like it. I want heads to roll!

[License to carry concealed weapon is not a license to use it] It may not be, but it gets me one step closer to doing so.




[Democrats are the blue collar workers that build this country.] That explains exactly why the Republicans should be in control, they have the degrees, intelligence and manners to run things at a higher level.
Google is celebrating their tenth year by offering $10 million to bankroll someone's idea. Send in your idea and if they like it they'll finance it.



Sarah Palin said dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. She must have misspoke.

[If Ike had hit the Keys they would be gone] Nonsense, George had equal wind force, much more rain, and it hung around for fourteen hours. I saw a 100 year old tree give up and fall over after about twelve hours of rain. ( they set it up again with a crane and it is still alive).  I’m still here and so is my house as well as my neighbors houses.






Is there a carpool link for people working in KW who travel from BPK. I get off work in KW after 11pm when there is no longer any bus service. Doesn’t GLEE have a carpool website?

[Bail Out] They choose to ignore a few facts.  First, if they’re convinced a bail out is wrong, they should yell at their legislators.  Remember that it the Congress who will pass or defeat any bail out.  Bush can do squat without a law to work from.  Second.  It was a Democrat controlled Congress that refused to pass Republican legislation in 2006 that would have begun the reform and probably prevented the current situation.  Third. The Fannie/Freddie executives and policies that got us into this ditch were and are active Democrat operatives. Fourth. Fannie/Freddie has given millions of campaign contributions to politicians, the overwhelming majority of it to Democrats, Obama taking the most in a 3 year period. Fifth. There have been about a dozen Republican attempts to pass legislation to reform them, all blocked by Democrats.

After blaming the Democrats, I think that the bailout is a bad idea. I believe that Fannie/Freddie were a terrible ideas and should simply die. I fully understand that such a death would deal a huge blow to our economy, cause a total collapse of the stock market and the real estate market. Their demise would, gut local tax bases, cause 20-40% unemployment, unimaginable inflation, but nonetheless, I can afford it. I’m positive that there would be money to be made. I will prosper.

[Reef Protects Us] Are the Keys better protected then Galveston because of the shallow waters on both sides inhibiting the surge and diminishing its force? How have the old houses in Key West survived all the major hurricanes over the last two centuries? I suspect it might be the shallow water. I know it’s not God protecting the Holy City.

Senator Shelby asked at the bailout hearing yesterday, if they ever heard of any country that had ever bailed out a bank and if the Fed has even considered another solution besides a bailout. No one answered him. They are already set in one direction. He also pointed out that the day before AIG’s meltdown, Treasury Secretary Paulson said AIG would be just fine.


[Least Competent Criminals] An unidentified man smashed a 6-foot hole in the wall of the Name Brand Clothing Store in Tulsa, Okla., in August and labored through the night to bust open the safe, but according to the surveillance video, he finally gave up six hours later after making only a small hole in the safe. However, when the store manager arrived later that morning, he found the safe unlocked, probably the result of his forgetfulness the night before, and no contents were missing. Though the crime was unsuccessful, the manager offered to hire the robber, based just on his diligent work ethic.

[Bailout] Senator Bob Barr says there’s massive fraud in the financial crisis and it should be looked in to. He also said the “Sky is falling” mentality is a big mistake that will only compound the problem and won’t properly cure the situation.




Ask Gov Palin about her $26 million road to nowhere and listen to her dance around the facts.

Don't judge me, until you walk a mile in my shoes. ThoseShoes.com





Go native! IRC - Natives for Your Neighborhood

[Credit] All you people do is bitch and moan about the Republicans and Democrats, the Banks, the S&Ls and whatever else the money people do to you. Now look in the mirror and ask yourself who let them do it? Who is really over extended? Who lives on credit cards. Who lives on welfare and allows illegal's more free income than you net per week? Now bend over and take it like the fools you are! How much debt do you have?



[Mystery Cactus] It is a rare and endangered dildo cactus. They have big beautiful flowers that bloom at night. As your cactus grows, it will flower more. Enjoy your creation from God and remember that Jesus loves you!

[?] Well, well, Mr. Gardner, showing your true colors now?  And Mr. Warner, now we will all know where the money is coming from for those attached dwellings--from a convicted felon.  Great community spirit!








[Redneck Irony] A trailer full of tires with a flat tire!

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Wednesday September 24, 2008

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Tuesday September 23, 2008

Bush is bailing out the corporations who through their greed have created this financial mess. Bush will get the money from the very same taxpayers who are losing their homes. The taxpayers who are having their houses foreclosed are helping to bail out these corporations with their tax dollars, but, there’s no relief for those unfortunate citizens. This administration seems to think it’s important to bailout the corporations and screw little guys.

Why don’t they remove the interest from all those shady loans and remove the destructive conditions (adjustable rates, etc) on those loans? They’re going into default anyway. At least that way the people would be able to keep their homes the corporations would still receive mortgage payments and the economy wouldn’t be destroyed.

The future of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office looks bleak. On the one hand we have a married candidate who got caught having sex with a woman half his age on her mother's couch--by her mother, and then used his deputies to intimidate her family. On the other hand we have a candidate who has been fighting the "War on Drugs" through a Federal DEA office which has absolutely no record of doing anything at all so far as I can gather. Can anyone remember anything memorable accomplished by the local DEA? Should this candidate get my vote by default? The reasoning that at least he didn't cheat on his wife with a teenager? Is that enough to qualify as our new Sheriff?

[Blame Clinton] This administration has been responsible for 9/11, the financial crisis and war. It was all on their watch and they should have done something about it if they were supposed to be such leaders. Their only hope is that their new spin doctor, Carl Rove, will be able to place the blame on Clinton. Four more years, yeah, right.

I am reading Obamanation, by Jerome Corsi, also author of Unfit for Command, the legacy of the Swiftboat Veterans. Obamanation is a confusing book to read, but well documented with footnotes and exact quotations of Obama. Obama is a complex individual with a spider webbed past. I am half way through the book and it starting to tie together.

Obama concerns me. His number one original financier is one Tony Rezko, a Syrian. The Woods Foundation ties are most intriguing. His ties to Ayers are very disturbing. I urge all to invest the time reading Obamanation before making a final decision.

Obama is not the best choice for our country. I used to think he was a nice guy, albeit not one to be our President. (I now believe Hillary would have been a better option, although she does not fit as VP). I now understand how bizarre Obama is. Obama's entire basis is 'redistribution of wealth'. The really scary part is where he intends to send the redistributed wealth.

Personal shelters. DuPont™ StormRoom™ with Kevlar® - Above ground storm shelter helping to provide protection from hurricanes and tornados






This is why no one had ADHD when we were growing up! Video
A bailout with no consequences or remedies. That's government for you.


I was told one time that a person that is lying to you will blink a lot more then normal. It seemed to me that when 60 minutes asked McCain if he truly believed Palin would be qualified to be President if something happened to him, he said without a doubt, but it seemed he was blinking so much and so fast I thought he was sending Morse Code.






How about trading us taxpayers shares of the companies that we're bailing out instead of just giving our money away?

[11.3 trillion dollars] That’s the price of our national debt after the bailouts that the Bush/McCain policy will be leaving for somebody else to pay. That somebody else will be the democrats who will be responsible and will have to raise taxes to make this country solvent. I’m beginning to understand what the left wingers are saying about the Republicans only thinking of themselves and their pockets--to hell with everyone else. I’ve never quite knew the differences in the parties until this election.




[Film is dead] Most professional photographers use digital cameras. The ones still using film are mostly portrait photographers. No news photographers use film. Professional use of film ended at the start of the Iraq war when photographers couldn’t get their film developed and were forced to go digital—they liked it and the rest is history.

To break the bubble of a true believer, is to risk the outpouring of their fear of reality. The Freudian view is that religion is a thought disorder.




Disney offering free park admission on your birthday - WalletPop Blog

Mark Kohl’s website hacked? I don't think so. According to the Whois record, the owner of the domain name (at least for the time being) is Dan Schramm, with a Key West business address. Is he an associate of Mark Kohl's or out to get him?

If Mark Kohl didn't put it there (or have someone put it there), the site hasn't been hacked, it is likely a site designed for the message that you read there. Let your own mind decide how you process this, now that you know it might not have been an illegally accessed site. markkohl.com





There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.

[Bailout] The Bush administration is asking Congress to let the government buy $700 billion in toxic mortgages. Let me get this straight: We have to spend our tax money to help business that are too greedy to run themselves?


This lady painted her dead son’s picture on her Hummer as tribute to him and the soldiers who were killed in Iraq.

It looks like the Wildlife Nazis are patrolling for Iguana Hunters again. If your kids are at it, tell then to cool it for a while.





[Rats] To many rats are a disgusting creature that we cannot wait to have killed or removed. However in Cambodia, no rat is left to waste, especially not when inflation has increased the cost of meat almost double in the last year. Rat Meat Rises in Popularity as Inflation Hits Locals

[Blame Clinton and Obama] The people who are responsible for the Fannie/Freddie disaster were Clinton pals, appointed by Clinton, then adopted and embraced by Obama.  Neither Clinton nor Obama actually pulled any triggers or stole from any poor box nonetheless they are ground zero.   They share failures of flawed judgment and lack of courage.  Clinton appointed the individuals responsible for our current disaster, that was flawed judgment on his part. His courage then failed when he continued to ignore malfeasance on the part of his appointees.  Obama compounded Clinton’s errors by exercising atrocious judgment in seeking the counsel and support of the same individuals who we now know steered the companies onto the reefs.  He lacks the courage to condemn them, or to announce his proposal to repair the current debacle and to prevent reoccurrence.  Obama lacks the requisite judgment and courage for the office he seeks. His 96% party line voting record in the US Senate and his 150 or so “present” votes in the Illinois Senate speak volumes to his lack of courage.



By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.  ~Socrates

The Republicans were the controlling party in Congress for many years until 2006 when the Democrats took control of the House and Senate.  During the Rep years the Democrat party had sufficient votes to block most Republican legislation including about a dozen repeated attempts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack. One of the recent reform acts being The Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005.  Leaders of the Democrat resistance were Senators Dodd, Clinton and Obama and Reps Rangel and Frank. 

In two short years the Democrats controlled Congress has seen the price of gas nearly double, foreclosures more than double, inflation triple,, unemployment increase about 33% and the real estate market tank. Can you remember any Democrat sponsored legislation that would have put in place reforms that could have headed off this train wreck? I can’t.

[Dressing Review] The best blue cheese dressing is at Slice of Paradise on Summerland Key. Try it on their salad or on their chicken wings, or my favorite--on a spoon. I'm serious. It’s even better than the old Chart House recipe. Unbelievably good. No comparison. If you love blue cheese dressing you will be glad you checked it out. And no, I do not work there.
Tiki Bar George's birthday party Sunday at picnic island was great. I can't remember when I had so much fun. Coconut Thunder provided the music and hooked up to Jerry's Ener Gizer boat for solar power. Please post some pics, I only have these cell phone photos.

As an educator in the Monroe County School District for eight years (1998 to 2005) and now working as an educational technical advisor to school districts in Pennsylvania, recent letters to the editor and editorials regarding the standing of Monroe County's educational system compared to other counties in Florida caught my interest.

Superintendent Randy Acevedo claims that Monroe County is No. 1 in the state through using some unique system of averaging school grades. The state claims that Monroe County is No. 11 using the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test as the basis. Whether Monroe County is No. 1 or No. 11 is of no importance to the parents and community members who want to know an honest answer to this question: How well are all of our students learning?

The Adequate Yearly Progress outlines the percentage of students broken down into subgroups by race, economic status, English-language learners and students with learning disabilities. When the data is examined in this manner, it is very difficult to hide or average the students who require more assistance to learn with those students who learn easily.

The trend (2003-08) in the Monroe County School District shows either no progress for the subgroups over time, or a decrease in proficiency. Here are examples:
-- Black students have not shown proficiency in reading since 2003-2004 and have not shown proficiency in mathematics at all.
-- 2008 is the first year since 2003 that Hispanic students have not demonstrated proficiency in reading.
-- Economically disadvantaged students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics and reading from 2003 to 2006, but not since.
-- Neither the students with disabilities nor the English-language learners have demonstrated proficiency in mathematics or reading from 2003 to 2008.

The full report can be examined on the Florida Department of Education's Web site, www.fldoe.org/arm/ .

So what does this mean? It means that there are minimal student support systems in place for our diverse learners. It means that our teachers are left to struggle to provide for the learning needs of students without teacher support systems being in place. It means that there is a lack of leadership in the district to address what is important -- the learning of all students. It means that time is wasted and money is being spent with very little learning gain for those students who need it most.

Is this what Mr. Acevedo means by No. 1 in the state?

Al Jazeera asked ordinary Afghans what they believe will bring peace to their war-torn country. Afghans Reflect on 'Peace Day' | CommonDreams.org

Rev. Manning trashes Obama’s momma. http://www.atlah.org:80/broadcast/ndnr09-03-08.html



[Local Radar] For a long time, I have wondered why the Keys’ Comcast does not offer a TV channel with the local radar loop 24/7. I was in Fort Myers this past week, and the Comcast operator over there does have it. Comcast channel 25. It is excellent, smart and useful. It's always there, and you don't have to log onto the internet to get the weather. Why do we have to look to the big cities for shopping and services that make so much sense?

The $700,000,000,000 to be spent to bailout our nasty corporations is the same amount that we send overseas to buy our oil each year.



McCain wants to deregulate the health care industry. Deregulation has never been good for us.

Code enforcement a function of Gov. to protect us from each other? Yes, yes, another fine program from our wise and knowing big brother, that has morphed into a  giant bureaucratic mess. It’s like all these do-good programs do when the people running them are the least visionary independent thinkers among us. Their lofty guide lines quickly descend into a myriad of hopelessly entangled red tape and foolishness, stifling individual enterprise and effort.



A 23 year old student has been identified as the hacker of Sarah Palin’s embarrassing email account.

[Mark Kohl, our State Attorney] That is not his site. It is owned and operated by Dan Schramm, Key West, FL, not Dennis Ward, Kohl’s opponent.  The named web site domain name was purchased for $9.95. It was not hacked and stolen as posted.  www.markkohl.com

[Religion] These guys are putting up this billboard in many major US cities. What a welcome relief from the religious nonsense we are usually assaulted with. I'd love to see this at the beginning of the Keys, just before the 18 mile stretch.

Key West Citizen article “Schools battle bullying culture”. This has now become a campaign issue amongst the two candidates. According to the article: “Controlling disruptive, rude students or school bullies and maintaining a good learning atmosphere in county schools is a campaign issue for some. During a candidates forum, a representative of Hometown PAC asked Acevedo and Fred Colvard, who is running against Acevedo for superintendent of schools, how each would deal with rude and disruptive students in the classroom.” “Colvard said he'd make sure teachers got the support they needed, and unruly students would be identified and disciplined. He underscored the importance of not letting a few students stand in the way of every other student's education. "Kids want discipline. I believe that in my heart, they want structure," Colvard said. Colvard points to a Lake County schools policy that required habitual troublemakers to be pulled from school. The parents and the child had to design a plan of new behavior that had to be approved by the local School Board before the student could return to class. "It was effective," Colvard said.”

 “Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo said teachers are trained to handle disruptive students, bullying and other classroom events such as Monroe Youth Challenge, which simply put is designed to enlighten students about tolerance, nonviolence and proper ways of viewing and treating students from different cultures and social groups”

They can do this by using techniques common to mass marathon training companies and cult group brainwashing. Psycho large group conditioning as such are outlined in the video about cult group brain washing. Much of the rules and procedures of this type of training in this video are visibly evident at Challenge Day functions.  Forcing students to miss an entire day of school to participate in Challenge Day classes without objective proof to demonstrate its results through carefully collected and verified data is wrong very wrong.


“Among the ways the district tries to reduce bullying and physical conflict, are the Monroe County Sheriff's Office stations deputies (SROs) at each middle and high school to patrol the halls and grounds, investigate crimes and maintain peace. SROs have been busy. Fighting and harassment is often part of the school day, according to a sampling of state education statistics and the district's web site postings of fights and other statistics.”


I am sure if the stats are researched Challenge Day cannot make any claim that it is stopping bullying. A lot of our children are revealing their inner horrors, bad experiences and very personal family information to their peers and teachers. They should be handled by a certified medical/psychological professional.  The answer is simple, get rid of Challenge Day and hire more community oriented cops and require parents to be involved in their child’s discipline. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E



The Sticky note experiment. the-sticky-note-experiment/

What do the top ten cities with the highest poverty rates have in common? Democrat leadership. 

[Flag Pin] It’s not political. It is patriotic. Why make it a requirement, that is part of communism. We are free and proud Americans. We fly the flag with pride. We all should wear flag pins, all of us. Just as we should all have an American flag hanging off the front of our house, all businesses, every boat (OK, you can fly the pirate flag too), or did Obama change that too? Plus, we should make all the Mexicans wear them while they are working and not paying taxes on all the construction sites.

I love it when the editor puts in the wrong date. It shows me how many ignorant people don't know what day it is. (Ed: I'm probably their leader.)


[Film is dead] Kodachrome America in the 30's http://www.openmyeyeslord.net/ALookBackInHistory.htm

The final school budget for 2008-2009 is $227,188,334. That covers everything from staff and teacher salaries, lights and air conditioning, to other supplies that run the schools. It pays for food service, sports teams, chalk, laptops, you name it. The $227 million also includes the capital side of the budget, which pays for new construction of schools and other school district buildings. Most of the money to pay for the budget comes from property taxes and other millage. The state kicks in some, too, based on the number of students attending school in the county.

School enrollment is falling. The new schools are monstrosities. We are paying way to much in taxes. Remember we get taxed at the federal and state levels as well. Randy Acevedo thinks we are tax cows he can over milk and eventually slaughter. The gang of three plus one. Vote to end this crap!




http://www.blifaloo.com/games/jumpball.php

[Wives] I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't.



[Welfare] This was taken at the intersection of US27 & I-471 in southeast Cincinnati.

[Flag Pin] There was a lot of gripping during the primaries that Obama was un-American for not wearing a flag pin in his jacket lapel.  Yet in every clip of McCain campaigning or being interviewed,  I've never seen a flag pin in his lapel. I know, I know, McCain was POW and he has nothing to prove. I'm sorry he had to go through what he did. I doubt very seriously that I could do it, but it just seems a little hypocritical that the people who complained about Obama are mum about McCain.
[Love on the tracks] A couple in South Africa who were having sex on a railway track in Mpumalanga Province have been killed by a goods train, police say.

Spokesman Abie Khoabane said it took place on Friday evening and the victims were yet to be identified. He told local newspapers that the couple ignored the driver's shouts as he moved the train into the disused station in Kinross town. "They continued with their business," he told the Sowetan paper. According to South Africa's Beeld newspaper, the area was deserted with no cars or houses nearby. The man died at the scene and the woman died later at hospital, the Sowetan reports. The police have appealed for those with missing relatives to come forward to help with their investigation. Is this what's called pulling a train?

[A Fan] A neighbor turned us onto this blog a couple weeks ago and we are addicted.  It is better than watching a soap opera.  I wish I had found it sooner. 


[Voting Fraud] The documentary film, Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections.   It's on Starz, on the 24th and 29th. I checked and it is available at NetFlix too. Watch it twice so it will sink in.  I knew our votes were being manipulated on a smaller scale, but this information is scary.

After reading all chatter of Heather Carruthers discriminating I decided I wanted to talk directly to the source.  I went to Pearls this afternoon for a glass of wine.  I didn't see Heather there.  I asked the bartender if the business discriminates as they are accused of on here.  She seemed quite stunned and said, "I don't understand what you are asking me".  I asked her if I could call my husband to meet me here and she told me that males are not permitted there.  I asked her if she felt that was discrimination.  She said it was the rules and if I didn't like it I could leave anytime.  I guess there is the answer straight from the source.  They do discriminate against men even though the barmaid was far more manly than the New York Giants.
 
I bet some liberal will accuse me of being homophobic even though I sat at Pearls today.


A hunter in Montana took this picture of the Golden eagle. What are the odds of getting a picture like this? And look at the wing spread!

[McCoy Sexual Harassment Suit] I'm not a lawyer, and don't know what lawyers know, but is a county commissioner an "employee" and therefore exempt as an individual? At the last BOCC meeting, the commissioners bulked-approved renewing the insurance contract protecting commissioners from their actions while doing their commissioning. Does it not protect the county or is that a different liability policy?

I'm more focused on the expense of this suit. I think the taxpayers should file a class action against their own county, not for money, but to make the county settle this case immediately. Time to cut the cord, unless somebody in the county attorney's office wants to keep this going for job security.





You can help protect Key Largo’s Snapper Ledge. http://stephenfrink.blogspot.com/2008/08/shark-dead-for-no-reason.html
A license to carry a concealed weapon is not a license to use it.

Youngsters who are not Democrats have heart.  Adults that are not Republican have no sense.

[Kohl Detractor’s Website] This web site has been on the internet for some time. I have seen it for at least a year.  Go to www.dumpkohl.com and you will see that markkohl.com is their sister site.

Mr. Kohl has an uncanny ability to step in every pile of doggy do that comes along. Even if he does not see it he will still step in it. If you really want to know more check out the past year’s headlines. Mr. Kohl violated a person's constitutional right to free speech and freedom of religion. He paid six figures for that one. Oh, and that poor Sheriff's deputy who he falsely charged and ran through courts until the judge stopped it and told the State that they had no case. There's more my friend there's more.



Lots of Ike pictures. The Keys would have been gone! Slide Show

[State Attorney] This past Sunday I appeared on Richard Grusin’s US 1 Radio show with my opponents in the District 3 County Commission race, Heather Carruthers and Carlos Rojos. Early during the hour we spent together, the topic of corruption in our local government came up. I said if Keys people really wish to do something about it, they should elected Dennis Ward as their next State Attorney. I said Dennis was a cop for many years before he went to law school. After which he worked in the State Attorney Office, and then went to work for the Public Defender’s Office, where he still works and enjoys a 75 percent win ratio in cases he tries against the State Attorney’s Office. I said I did not think our present State Attorney, Mark Kohl, is up to the task of being tough on wayward important politicians, government leaders and their friends, and I felt Dennis Ward would be tough on them. I meant it.

Later, I read an article in Key West Citizen about a predator case in which Mark Kohl was involved. The young woman victim had tried to kill herself because she did not want to go through the ordeal of facing the man in court and telling the judge and jury what he did. As a result, Mark had offered the predator a deal that was much lighter and involved no prison time, even though the maximum sentence for such a case was life. Dennis Ward talking about the light settlement at a candidate forum blew the lid off the case and caused a great deal of uproar. It was a tough call by Dennis, and Mark defended himself by saying he was trying to protect the victim. Alas, Mark should have told the victim and her family up front what lay ahead, and better not to get him involved, than to do so and then get cold feet. Better to just be quiet about it, if they weren’t ready to go the lengths Celeste Bruno was willing to go to in her case against County Commission Sonny McCoy, was very hard on Celeste, but she has stuck with it. Here’s why.

Sloan Bashinsky, non-affiliated county commission candidate, District 3 seat  Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel


Children's Back to School Fun Day at the Big Pine Key Moose Lodge, Wilder Rd.  Saturday, September 27 from 11:00am-3:00pm.  Fingerprint Kits will passed out  Monroe County Fire Dept will be there with the Fire Truck and EMS.  Home Safety  Games  Hot Dogs & Drinks free to children. Bulletin Board
Rep Sessions (Republican, of course) was on the tube today saying we could prevent the financial collapse if we drilled offshore.



Does anyone else think that it is a mistake to rush in and rescue the people who recklessly loaned billions without considering the risk? And why should the victims (taxpaying borrowers) have to pay for the bailout and still lose their homes?

[Homeless, lose your home, lose your vote] Did you read the article or just assume that the headline said it all? The article stated that the Republicans don't want the addresses of foreclosed homes to be used for registration.  That’s hardly an attempt at taking away the voting privilege of anyone.  More likely taking away ACORN's "get out the vote" strategy.


[Worst Jobs] People are always complaining that they have the worst job in the world. Well maybe that is all they are skilled to do. Don't blame anybody else for your shortcomings.

[Palin's Hair] I am solidly in Obama's corner but I must admit the picture of him in Palin's hair was hilarious. Can we get one with McCain in Hillary's?




This is a great website for identifying plants in your yard. Floridata: Ipomoea quamoclit

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Tuesday September 23, 2008

Monday  September 22, 2008



Today is the first day of autumn. No, that's not your palm fronds changing color, it's lethal yellowing.

[Republicans have controlled Congress for twelve years]  The Democrats have controlled Congress for the last two years and it was the Clinton administration who mandated the " lending reforms" that started this whole mess, by insisting that loans be made available to folks who probably could not pay them back.

[Flag Pin] I've learned that you must wear a flag pin in your lapel if you run for president, but do you have to wear one at the local level? Is it just in national politics that the pin is required or are local candidates required to wear it?

[BPK red-light banks and drug stores] I'd rather have 4 drug stores, competing stores drive down prices for the consumer who benefits.  The banks might offer different incenitives but their negligible.

The national political campaign has nothing on the Keys in terms of nastiness and corruption. Look at the war being waged against Mark Kohl, our State Attorney running for reelection. Sunday's Key West Citizen ran a large banner headline with a story that could only have been written by his opponent. And of course the Citizen provided no "equal time" for any opposing points of view. As if that weren't enough, the same opponent hijacked Mark Kohl's own Web site, hacking it to turn it into a hate site against Mark. Incredible! If you don't believe it, read Sunday's Citizen and go to Mark's hacked Web site. Hopefully some others will speak out about this. http://www.markkohl.com/

[Optical illusion] http://artemisfowl.fangathering.com/fowl-fun/optical-illusions/
The truth about blogs (not this one , of course) http://www.illwillpress.com/FOR33.html

Term limits would reduce the possibility of corruption.







Make your own book with Blurb

[Why I don’t evacuate] My house is all I have and if it’s destroyed, I would just as soon go with it. I’m too old to live under a bridge or in the woods. My house is concrete with a metal hip roof and it was built in ’65 and since then it’s been made even stronger. It has metal roll-down shutters and is wired for a generator. I use propane for drying clothes and cooking. I hate the fact that people are sent away from their homes without their pets to who-knows-where? I am infuriated by the hassle given residents when they try to return. I don’t like sleeping in my car along the road. Having been a resident since 1989 I have never evacuated and now that I am getting real old, I figure old age will kill me before any hurricane.


Maybe the scarier thought isn’t four more years of Bush policies, it appears it could be 4 more years of Dick Cheney in Sarah Palin. Republicans think they are above subpoenas. Miss I-welcome-the-investigation-into-my-behavior has turned into I’m-running-for-office-so-I’m-now-above-the-laws-of-this-country-and-I’m-going-to-ignore-the-subpeanas.

[Democrats Don't Work] I see a right wing BSer on this site is trying to convince us that firefighters, paramedics, police officers, teachers, nurses, doctors, small business owners, factory workers, bridge and road builders and every other person that works for a living is a Republican because Democrats don't work! Are you really trying to convince us that the majority of registered voters don't work? Have they dumbed you down that much? It sounds as if you are as out of touch about the real American people as John McCain. Maybe you should pull your nose down a little and look around. You might find out that people are not a bad as you think just because they have a different political belief.

[Keys Hurricane Shelters] The writer keeps saying the government tells us what to do. My position is that I am and we are the government so, therefore, I vote for hurricane shelters throughout the Keys. The only problem is that I’m not allowed to vote on the issue. The writer doesn’t address the fact that very few residents evacuate--no one in authority addresses that issue. As for fire rescue, they wouldn’t be needed in a shelter. Denying the majority of those who stay is irresponsible.  It’s always easier to bury your heads in the marl.

I said I will ask the federal court to hold Sonny McCoy responsible to Monroe County for any damages, attorney fees and court costs the County incurs as the result of anything wrong Sonny actually did toward Celeste Bruno. I ended that post wondering out loud if I also would ask that Sonny be required to reimburse me my own legal expenses, if Celeste wins.

I had a rough night last night, and it mostly seemed to center around my wondering about trying to recoup my legal expenses. Sometimes I’m a bit slow. I will not ask for reimbursement, because I do not want to be tied to Sonny in that way; I do not want to be trying to collect money from him. This approach is in keeping with what I was told in my sleep in early May 2001, as I was beginning my plunge into Keys politics: “You cannot do this work correctly if you are looking to get anything back from the people you are trying to help.” And it is in keeping with Jesus saying, “No man can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

What I will do if Celeste wins her case is I will stop pushing for Sonny, who is half Cuban, to be Key West’s and the Keys’ ambassador to Cuba, and I will ask the County Commission to remove Sonny’s name from the Key West airport. Personally, I never felt the Key West airport should be named after Sonny. I always felt it should be the Key West Airport or the Key West International Airport. What travelers in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Japan or Australia have not heard of Key West? A basic marketing/advertising principle is keep it simple and keep hammering it home.  

Along that line, today’s Key West Citizen features a front page article about the Marathon Chamber of Commerce seeking a new slogan for Marathon, to make that city more attractive to tourists than its present slogan: Marathon, the heart of the Keys.

The article also mentions other Keys area slogans: Key Largo, the diving capital of the world; Islamorada, the sports-fishing capital of the world; and Key West, is well, Key West.

I would use capitol instead of capital, but then, I suppose what we are really talking about here is money, isn’t it? So what I would call Marathon, if it were my call to make, is home of incredible world-famous 7 Mile Bridge.

Slown Bashinsky, non-affiliated county commission candidate, District 3 seat, now held by outgoing Commissioner Sonny McCoy  Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel

[McCain Computer] A couple of days ago a whole set of mouth breathing Dems were all hissied up because McCain has no interest in or need to use a computer. Every single one of those boneheads had to use a computer to get here, but would you trust any of them with anything? I’ll bet a Coors that not a single one of them has ever read a single page of the The Federal Register, knows who SACEUR is, or who Miguel d’ Escoto Brockman is. John McCain does, and he didn’t  have to google.





What ever happened to Donald Rumsfeld? Was he a victim of rendition?

[Image Resizer] It works for Vista too.  (Ed: No it doesn’t—XP only.) http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


[Night blooming cirrus] I have an unknown cactus growing outside my house too. It's over 12 ft tall, has 6 main stalks, and flowers bloom only at night, twice a year. The flowers are huge, yellow, and die in the morning. It's beautiful.  No, I have no idea the name.

I don't evacuate and I don't need to rely on the gov't to take care of me. If you want to go, fine, but don't try to force me to leave.

I had a rare opportunity to examine a broad-winged hawk yesterday up close. I was watching TV and a hawk landed on our porch railing just about fifteen feet away from me. I stayed as still as I could and for about five minutes I got to study his movements and beauty. I've been watching them flying around for years, but never had the privilege of an up close experience. This is a big bird and impressed me very much. I love the Keys.

Heather is only a part of FIRM and does not have people, men, women, some with families coming before her for a vote on whatever agenda item they want to discuss with members of the BOCC. I am not attacking Heather's personal life or see anyone who has expressed a concern over her excluding men from her place of business as being a problem, because this is her choice as a business owner. But if elected she will be doing the business of the County and the taxpayers of Monroe County.  Why would you suggest we are homophobic because we see this as a problem? How one relates to the other is beyond me.  



After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still they stay together.

Man’s love of a man’s life is a thing apart
‘Tis a woman’s whole existence. ~Byron

Would you want to have a US Senator who owned a dirty book store?  Would you like to have a congressman who owned an escort service?  How about a Governor who owned a head shop/dope pipe store?  Maybe a Mayor who produced XXX Rated films?  My answer to all of those questions is no.  Nor would I want a County Commissioner who owns a business that discriminates.  That type of business is a reflection of their character.  That is why I believe the best way Heather Carruthers could serve Monroe County is to drop out of the race.  I have nothing against her sexual preference, but I have a lot against her judgment.

[Whatever you give a woman she will multiply]  That amusing post sounds like another fairy tale from the neo-Nazis who  brought us a 9 trillion dollar national debt, a bogus  war where our soldiers are so ashamed at killing  innocent civilians that over 600 of them have  committed suicide, and bank failures by the dozen caused by criminals who pass off worthless "derivatives"  and then charge it to the taxpayers.  Women may say the same thing about men, but several  women I know whatever you give them, love, money,  cars, houses, and even your trust is like pouring it down a black hole. Many of them only multiply sorrow.  How's that for a thought for the day?       







[Made from French Legos] Aircraft carrier. Un immense porte avions fait à l'aide de Legos!

This is in response to the person who wrote in today saying anyone who won't vote for Heather Carruthers because of Pearl's is homophobic.  The writer said he is a straight male and thinks Heather's business should not reflect how she would act in a public office.  Does that mean David Duke's membership in the KKK (a racist and violent organization) would not affect the way he treated black Americans if he won the Presidency?  Since you'll probably call me homophobic too I'll tell you a bit about myself.  I'm 43, female, have a boyfriend now and have had many in the past, I have also sampled the female fruit too and like it quite a bit, I plan more female sampling in the future and I will not vote for Heather due to her place of business.  I want my boyfriend welcome at a County Commission meeting too.  Am I homophobic?  The last woman I had sex with doesn't think so.

The photos of Galveston will reflect what the Keys might look like after a major storm. Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center once said, "Storm surge and high winds from a major hurricane could scour the Keys down to the bedrock."

If you look at these photos, you'll see hundreds of cubic yards of lumber and roofing piled against surviving structures. If we have a major hurricane with storm surge here in the Keys, you should worry about "grandfathered" and "non-compliant" structures flying around in high winds and swirling around with flood waters. If you live in a newer home, likely it could survive considerable winds and storm surge, but your neighbor's 2x6s, put together inadequately in a non-compliant deck or downstairs enclosure, could fly around and destroy your house.

The next time you or your neighbor has a problem with Code Enforcement, think about this. Most of these Code Enforcement folks are simply trying to protect us from one other -- a basic function of government.

The talk in town is that there’s an employee who works at the Big Pine Laundromat that has a crack problem. Maybe the robbery was an inside job. The cops down here never catch the robbers.  ~rmr5232@msn.com


[Mystery Cactus] I think it's some kind of Selenicereus. I don't know if it has an easier name. I had one in my garden before Georges that climbed my bushes and was about ten feet up.

All politics can indeed present a conundrum, but the left wing posts on this site have to be the most asinine stupid bunch of drivel ever presented for public viewing in the history of man. How anyone would want to throw their lot in with people with a grasp of the world such as these nincompoops is unbelievable.

[Urine tests] Accurate urine tests are expensive. The "strip" type testing is notoriously inaccurate. Urine tests are very easy to beat by a determined drug user. Random tests are just stupid; why subject innocent people to this kind of invasive testing? The technology is here that will enable classification of a wide variety of personal and medical issues from urine, from your metabolic rate, how many and what brand of beer you're drinking, to who you're having sex with. It's just another instance of the nose of government under the camel's tent of personal privacy. Shame on any employer, including the government who predicts human behavior based on a urine specimen rather than testing after behavior shows there's a problem!

Much is made of McCain's age. Has anyone brought up the fact that Obama smokes and both of his parents died at an early age. Plus Biden has had two brain aneurysms which could have killed him. If they both died while in office that would leave Nancy Pelosi as president.

Deer editor. Please check your dates. Saturday's link takes me to Friday but I think it's Saturday posts, or something like that. I'm so confused! Have a great day, which ever one it is!

[Homeless] Lose Your Home, Lose Your Vote: Republicans Move To Deny Homeless Votes, Democrats Claim | CommonDreams.org

[Democrats Don't Work] Democrats are the blue collar workers that build this country.


[Film is dead] Film is not dead. Film is for professionals and those who remember how beautiful pictures used to be before they were trashed by the digital cameras. Kodachrome forever!

[Picture Resizer for Vista] It only works in XP and older windows. Try it is free and very good. http://www.next-dimension.org/index.php?c=23&lang=eng

[The problem of a Democracy and all forms of regulatory government] If the people figure out they can tap a countries revenue without working for the money, they will. People are by nature, lazy sheep. If the Government, national, state and local, try to regulate pricing, the merchant class tends to get control by placing their representatives in strategic official positions, then the people are at the mercy of the tax man and the wholesale / retail merchants, to a point of stagnation. Then a frustrated populist will tend to barter goods and services, side tracking the government / merchant controls and this leads to reducing the quality, quantity and safety of goods sold, plus the weakening of the governmental structure. Standardization of goods and services will suffer also because those that barter will offer what that person can sell, not what is a solid or mass produced product. No other form of government can cope with public frustration, except a pure military establishment, but even that can be destroyed with in-fighting for position and gain. Any form of religiously based control always leads to stagnation. The human race can crumble into anarchy by over population, by not understanding the limits of resources, and by those who gain power and wealth who care not for anything but satisfying their lust to be top dog. Unless we learn to understand this, we humans are not going to make it! 

Atheism: A non-prophet organization.  The Bible would be much more useful if the pages were thicker!  http://deitywatch.007sites.com/index.php




Carl Rove has been hired by McCain. The king of the poison negative ad is now going to show us what spin really is.

[History of snopes.com] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snopes





Some people will do anything to get elected.

The bail out of Fannie and Freddie is not particularly good news, but it’s not horrific news either. The basics of the economy are not nearly as bad as some politicos want everyone to believe. We still have had nothing but positive GDP numbers (most recent, a 3.3% annual pace), unemployment is at or lower than historic averages, inflation is under control, the US dollar is gaining against the Euro, and exports grew at about 13%.  The stock market is moving upward, 40 points this month; it just posted the biggest 2 day gain since 1987.  Remember that 95+ % of all existing mortgages are not in trouble. Only 2+/-% of all mortgages are in foreclosure and only about 3+\-% are “troubled”.  The mortgage instruments that comprise the bailout will actually be acquired by the government, each mortgage is collateralized by property and there actually is the potential that the ultimate sale of the property may result in profit.


Games for when we get older:
Sag, you're it
Hide and go pee
20 questions shouted in your good ear
Kick the bucket
Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says bend over
Musical recliners
Simon says something incoherent
Pin the toupee on the bald buy

[Your Honor, my client is an idiot] As police cars in Minnetonka, Minn., chased suspected burglar Grayson Clevenger, 27, an officer who knew Clevenger's cell-phone number called to persuade him to give up. Clevenger picked up the phone and, according to officers, yelled, "Dude, I can't talk! I'm being chased by the police!" He was captured a short time later.

[Financial meltdown] Which S&L do you own? I cannot believe anyone would ever defend bankers and stockers? They are the blood suckers who control your lives and start the wars along with organized religion. Wake up and smell your losses!

Ft. Myers airport is ok. I've used it 3 or 4 times. It's not real big, but it's comparable to Ft. Lauderdale. It's convenient to the interstate, easy to use, and has plenty of parking. My flights were nonstop to Detroit, I'm not sure where else they go.





Zimbabwean solution to cuts in the electricity and the high cost of batteries for radios. Thank you Bob Mugabe!

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Monday  September 22, 2008

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Sunday September 21, 2008

[Marathon Airport] The Citizen reported that the county commissioners have set aside $125,000 to guarantee that Cape Air have at least six seats filled if they fly to Marathon.  They also report that Marathon has been without an airline since 2000, other than a few months that Delta tried to fly there.

Does anybody remember Florida Coastal Airlines?  They had daily flights from Ft. Lauderdale to Marathon from 2003 to 2006.  They flew planes identical to the Cessna 402s that Cape Air flies.

A county commissioner had promised them a two-passenger guarantee totaling only $30,000, and stipulated that Florida Coastal provide year-round air service to Marathon.  After that commissioner lost re-election, David Rice and Peter Horton refused to support the subsidy and Florida Coastal went bankrupt soon after the 2005 hurricanes.  Horton and Rice were eager to get rid of Florida Coastal so they could lure a mainline carrier (like Delta) to fly into Marathon with a FAA matching grant for communities without any air service.

So now we are happy to pay Cape Air up to $250,000 to get the same Cessna airplanes to fly into Marathon for just the tourist season (Cape Air does not plan to fly there year-round).

Oh, what a short memory we have.

Why are we still talking about electricity on No Name Key?  Aren’t there billions of people world-wide that are connected to a power grid of one type or another?  Why is there all this resistance to connecting this insignificant tiny island to the electrical grid?  Am I the only person that thinks this is one colossal waste of time, using up our tax dollars to pay attorneys, commissioners, county planning staff, etc to discuss, re-discuss, and then take no action only to have the issue come back up a year later?  There are only 40 or so houses out there, only a handful of residents are die-hard solar proponents. Why not just let them be to live off the grid as they choose, and give electricity to all those that want it?  Am I the only person that sees that as the easiest solution?  Anyone can live off the grid if they want to. It’s easy, just don’t pay your electric bill, and presto, your house is off the grid too!

This County has bigger issues to tackle, I could list them, but if you’re reading this blog you probably already know most of them.  Wasting time and money (that this county doesn’t have) on this issue is absurd, and frankly I’m tired of reading about it.  Connect them to the grid. Next issue please; hopefully one that effects more than 40 homes.

Does anyone know the link to Windows Picture Resizer for Vista? All I get in the search is Windows Power Toys not the individual download for the resizer.

I am a man and I am not homophobic.  I worked closely with Heather Carruthers when FIRM was working their collective butts off to reduce windstorm rates in Monroe County, including Big Pine Key.  I don't recall any of the thousands of people who enjoyed the benefits of FIRM's hard work declining to accept the reduction in their windstorm rates because Heather is involved in a business that excludes men.  The folks who are attacking Heather because she is connected to a business that excludes men are in fact homophobic.  This whole debate about Heather's business is a backdoor way of attacking Heather's personal life without saying it.  This is a classic way to smear someone.  Shame, shame, shame.

There are many businesses in this Country who exclude men and women for legitimate reasons.  I suppose the homophobes who are attacking Heather would think that a man should be allowed to share the locker room of a woman's gym, or the Miami Dolphins' locker room should be open to women at all times.

If you want to attack someone because of their personal life, then do it, but the ludicrous assertion that Heather will not be County Commissioner for all the people in this County because she is associated with a women only guest house, is plain and simple a smear campaign.

I read yesterday morning in the Keynoter about the federal sex-harassment lawsuit brought against County Commissioner Sonny McCoy by his former aide, Celeste Bruno. So far, this is the most troubling newspaper report of the case I have seen. Based on my recollection, the Keynoter article details what Celeste said Sonny did and outlines the County’s legal defense, which is two-fold: (1) Celeste did not go through the proper county complaint procedures; and (2) what Sonny did failed to rise to the level of sexual harassment, in any event. How the County Attorney told the federal judge that with a straight face is beyond my credulity, because the Keynoter article reports that County does not deny it happened.

According to the Keynoter, and my recollection, that the County had not denied Celeste’s allegations was one of reasons the federal judge ruled the case should be heard and decided by a jury. Another reason reported was the judge found the alleged misconduct could reasonably be viewed as sexual harassment. Yet another reason reported was the judge found there was sufficient evidence that Celeste feared retaliation, if she went through the County’s complaint reporting requirements. That article states that when Celeste did complain, she was transferred over to being County Commissioner Dixie Spehar’s aide. But that didn’t stop the alleged harassment, which was compounded by one of Sonny’s friends writing Celeste letters she viewed as threatening — as did the authorities, who put Sonny’s friend in prison over it.

I truly hope all Keys citizens will read the Keynoter’s report of this case, and as you read it, consider a few other details. Consider that not once, as far as I know, did any of the other county commissioners censure Sonny, or cry out in protest, or publicly come to Celeste’s aid. Consider that the County was sued by Celeste for what she says Sonny did, because it happened on the job: under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer is legally liable for an employee’s wrongful behavior committed in the line and scope of the employee’s employment.

Consider that the County never mounted the defense that what Sonny is accused of doing was intentional and persistent wrongdoing, outside the line and scope of his employment, not reasonably foreseeable, and therefore Sonny and not the County should be held responsible. Consider that the County did not file a third-party action against Sonny, making him a defendant in the case and liable to the County for any damages, attorney fees and court costs the County has to pay Celeste as the result of what she accuses Sonny of doing. Consider that the County, from the County Commission and the County Attorney on down, has sided completely with Sonny in this case. And consider, based on what the Key West Citizen wrote about the case earlier in the week, that Sonny was not even sued by Celeste; he is not even a defendant and has nothing to lose in the case except his reputation.  Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel


Drill off shore Florida now! We need to help the oil companies in their moment of need.

The Ten Best Reasons I will Vote For Randy Acevedo
10  He was born in Key West 
9    He graduated from Key West High School
8    He has degree in something…hey, he’s got one
7    He will give me a job if I support him 
6    He may give me a high paying district administration job
5    He will give me a bonus and call it a supplement
4    He will give my wife a job and give her a bonus; I mean supplement
3    He will hire me as a high paid consultant after I retire
2    He lets me call him Big Bubba
1    I have a useless track of land that he will buy from me with school board tax money (at a highly inflated price)



Most fire rescue trucks can not be driven in winds over 50 MPH. So if you stay, and there's a fire or medical need, what's your plan?

[Republicans are a strange group] They come in here every day saying things such as "Democrats do nothing but give our hard earned money away" and "they just want your money to give it to someone else." Yet it is the republican party that is giving Iraq billions a month of our hard earned money. They also don’t bat an eyelash when they give billions of dollars to bailout their rich financial industry friends. But try to help a family that has lost their jobs because of their government’s poor economic decisions, and they go crazy!

Iraq is making millions with their oil reserves but they don’t even have to pay us back the billions you and I have given them. It was the republican president that told us the Iraqis would repay us with the money generated from their oil reserves. That’s was before he told us they are getting a free ride. Now because of Bush’s waste and giving away our money we are having a financial meltdown and borrowing more and more from the Chinese and others. They can whine about a helping hand to an American, but praise the skies above about giving Iraqis all the money they want. The money we are borrowing more and more of every day has to be repaid. We are not Iraqis, we have to pay our money back and the weight of that payback is going to be put on the shoulders of our grandkids. Republicans are running up our kids’ bills and don’t seem to care as long as it’s not coming out of their pockets now.

Sorry, but its nothing more then Republican forced wealth redistribution. America is indeed a hard working country, and trust me, the republicans are not the only ones working. We cannot afford to support the world and only pay interest the way the Republican party wants us to. Sorry, but 4 more years of Bush financial decisions could hurt this country beyond belief. Just say “No thanks, John McCain, you folks have blown your chance." More of the same is not a financial formula for prosperity.


Blaming Wall Street and the banks for this financial meltdown is like blaming your bookie for your gambling addiction.  Of course no politician who wants to be elected can come out and blame the voters for any imprudence.  That would be as suicidal as saying we have to raise taxes to pay our debts or finance future projects.   And the beat goes on...
Remember that the Republicans have controlled Congress for twelve years.

Money Market funds are not insured! There’s a run on withdrawer on those funds because of the current economic meltdown.



Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was on the tube this morning saying he will ask the Federal Reserve for a $4700,000,000,000 line of credit to buy all the bad debt in the mortgage industry. He plans to ask foreigners to buy some of that debt. He said that if this is not done people’s savings accounts are in jeopardy. He seems to be dealing with the consequences instead of the causes.

Should we withdraw our money from the banks?

[Evacuation] Kudos to the poster yesterday who brought up the point about building shelters. Why some people think that it is impossible to be protected from a cat. 5 storm is beyond me. Saturday’s Telegraph had an excellent example. It reminded me of when I drove up to Miami to check on my parents after hurricane Andrew. Amidst all the rubble were still standing houses built during the '50 and '60s as well as the Pioneer Museum building which was one of Henry Flagler's railroad stations. Crappy construction fails, solid construction survives.  To guestimate what would happen here by comparing it to the way a hurricane floods the mainland is comparing apples to oranges. How long did the water stay here in Wilma or Georges? Less than an hour at my house. The water is still standing on the Gulf coast. A while ago there was some noise about the County "allowing " us to build shelters but their idea of a shelter was too small and too low. If you need a shelter for a bad enough storm that will wreck your house, you need it big enough to live in semi-comfortably while re-building the house. Think of how many public shelters could have been built with the money spent on the new highway.

[Welfare] Yesterday I had a long discussion with a Republican neighbor who spouted off the advantages of electing Republicans this November.  I had to straighten him out on a few things.  He quickly pointed out that the Democrats would raise taxes on the rich, which I have no problem with at all since I am not rich (he had a problem because he is). In fact I told him that he should just give me money instead of sending it to the IRS. I am on the government payroll anyways, I love my food stamps and welfare checks.  I explained it would save him a stamp.  He then went on to say that taxes pay for our police, roads, schools, etc.  I pointed out to him that my trailer is not as big as his house so I didnt need as much police protection, in fact most of the items in my trailer were gained by illegal means, so less police protection sounded pretty good to me.  As for the roads, I dont really need the yellow lines as much as he does, I'm young and have good eyesight, yellow lines really arent that important to me, and as for potholes, he should have an old chevy like mine, he wouldn’t worry as much about damage to his BMW.  I have no kids in school so why should I have to pay my share of taxes for schooling.  He pointed out to me that democrats believe in abortion which against god's ways.  Hell, if my gal didn’t have a couple of abortions we would have a few more crack addicts on the streets, trust me no offspring of mine would be a productive member of society.  Thank god I pointed these things out, god knows what would happen if he actually voted Republican this November. If the Republicans win, my free ride might be over.
[Republicans help big business--Democrats help people] Bull crap! Politicians help themselves at the expense of the people who work.

[Follow the money—State mandated hurricane evacuation is directly linked to development] I've heard this several times and for the life of me I don't understand that statement. I have seen our BOCC vote so crazy and in many cases in favor of developers. I don't like it either but to say evacuation is directly linked to development is kind of paranoid. If you leave do you think they will take your land if it is destroyed?
 
Mother nature is, well, Mother Nature. She will do what she feels like. Forecasters can only look at and analyze current weather conditions and predict with some room for error the path of a large storm. There have been many storms that have gone off predictions. The photo link a poster placed here of the devastation in Galveston should be enough to make keys folks think twice about staying in the face of a direct hit of a strong cat 2 or higher. How much of the keys do you think would be left after a cat 3-5 t storm? Old town KW would be a series of up heaved streets and littered with all that we love to enjoy. When small storms of past came thru, the streets were severely flooded. Imagine a direct hit from a cat 4-5. You can kiss you’re a** good bye. Once you unlock the door of that cat 5 shelter provided by the county, state, fed  what exactly do you think you will find? Get a grip, there is nothing left. It's all gone. OK, now you can say I survived a cat 5, woohoo! It's like landing on Mars and asking the closest Martian where can I get a beer? Rebuilding would be an absolute nightmare. Even if you did survive, you can first remove the toe tag the nice folks told you to put on after they warned you to leave, but where would you get anything? Food, water, meds, beer, electric, no a/c, no TV, lots of 'skeeters. etc. Do you think it will be waiting for you at first light? Then you'll bitch that it's not there. You'd be whining like a little boy who got vanilla ice cream when he wanted chocolate. The water would be Desani and not Z'hills.  the beer would be  Busch and not Bud and it would be warm.
 
The govt is  not here to cover you’re a**, but to inform you that according to the best predictions they think you are in harms way and should get out. First responders are just that, those who respond first once as soon as it is safe for them to venture out to assist those in trouble. If the wind is whipping at a cool 150 and you expect someone to come help you when your roof fell in or
your boat is taking on water then you need to keep smoking the weed that helped you make the decision to stay, because no one is coming anytime soon. How dare you demand help  or put firefighters, paramedics or police in harms way because you were too stupid to heed a real warning. If they tell people there is a cat 3, 4 or 5 storm coming and they decide to stay, well good luck. You died for stupidity.
 
For the most part keys residents live "on the water". Most are only a few hundred feet away from canals or bays. KW is no different. I've been here 6 yrs and love it. I plan on retiring here. Personally I take evacuations seriously. I prepare and make my decisions a few days before others. I try to make my evacuations a vacation as well as business. I never want to be stuck on the stretch for several hours.

To those who stay good luck. To those who called the evacuation, thanks for the warning and in some cases a much needed vacation. I just hope US1 radio will be on, MM24 band is playing close by and there are some good key lime pies to be had. Pray for no more storms.
I loved the comment about Democrats spending Republican money because Democrats don't produce. I guess the Republican nationalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was the Republican free market going full steam ahead! Or the estimated $700 billion bailout of the mortgage industry that was allowed to screw up without Federal oversight by the Republican "free market" Administration? You must think we aren't paying attention.
I know what's next on the Lame Duck agenda- nationalizing oil drilling so we can keep oil drilled in the US within the US when it's refined. What no one is pointing out is that it doesn't matter if oil companies increase drilling in the US because they will continue to sell the product on the open market and China currently has more than two trillion surplus US dollars they are anxious to dump. They can out bid us for our own oil. Republican productivity my a**.



The houses in Key west are over two hundred years old and have been through every hurricane that nature can throw at it. I think the reason KW is still there is because of the reefs and the shallow water on both sides of the keys protecting us from tidal waves.

[Hurricane shelter] Monroe County has had blinders on as to the welfare of the majority of us who stay. In 2006 we were suppose to evacuate four times. I can’t afford it. Shelters would provide a place to go when there was an actual Hurricane Alert issued, not three days before a storm.

So what? Do you have to be part of some inner circle to get something posted or what? FAQ

[The last thing I want in the White House is an attorney] Yeah I agree all of those rules of law are nothing but inconveniences. Why would a President of the United States need to understand the laws? But then John McCain’s great and well thought out problem solving for the financial melt down did consist of "fire someone". Great plan, McBush. What’s the next great John McCain insight "Gas prices are high because its expensive"?

[Keys Hurricane Shelters] By telling you to evacuate, they are looking out for your welfare. The government is telling you to do something that is in your best interest. If you chose not to go, that's your choice. So yes, you have to accept the responsibility of the results of your decisions. It is not government's responsibility to care for you after you do something you were advised against doing. Do you believe government is your keeper? Why is it the government's job  "looking out for the majority of us that don't evacuate" ?  The government is telling you what's best, what you do with that is up to you, so deal with it If you want to stay, get a group together, find money, find/build a shelter, water/power supply. The county position is well known, so if you don't like it, instead of waiting for govt to change - take responsibility and do it yourself.

This is the heart of conversations many I have been having with my friends lately. Who's job is it, what's the extent of personal and government responsibility for individual and collective welfare. Like it or not, what we realize is that the role of government is not to be our keeper.

[Hurricane shelters] I agree we need local shelters for those that won’t evacuate. Does anyone know many people stay?

[McCoy Sexual Harassment Suit] When will the Monroe County attorney tell the BOCC specifically and definitively how much this has cost the county taxpayers, both in cash and employees' time?  How does this expense get included in the budget? What's the budget line category? And most importantly, is the county done paying?  If not, how much money does the 2009 budget include for this case? Remember, we're closing libraries, and raising taxes. 

 

Note to BOCC, I don't want one penny, nada, none of any (more) taxpayer money applied to defending this case. Settle it now. Tell the insurance company to pay whatever punishment money is required, and shut it down. Let him hang. And I want to look at his liability policy. If there's a deductible - he pays it himself  on behalf of the county. He does not get a free ride on his travesty of bad behavior.

It’s all in how you look at things. http://break.com/index/the-dumbest-women-on-the-highway.html

Earlier this month I, along with 60,000 other members of Free Press, signed a letter calling on St. Paul City Hall to drop the charges against Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! and the other journalists who were arrested during the Republican National Convention. Today we found out that in response to public pressure, all of the charges were dropped!

I’m writing in hopes that you will join me and the growing media reform movement by becoming a Free Press "e-activist". It is free, and takes about 10 seconds.

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan network of people like you and me who care about the future of our media. It is crucial that we increase our numbers in the fight for more hard hitting journalism, and independent media. http://www.freepress.net/get_involved/e-activists

I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.  ~ George Carlin






I was just wondering, when will this political crap be over!

Russia is resuming its Cold War ways. It is in the process of retaking the independent countries that used to comprise the Soviet Union. Russia has placed nuclear equipped strategic bombers in Venezuela. NATO is in the throes of redesigning itself. Iran wants nukes and brags that it will use them to flatten Israel and any other country that they wish. Al Qaeda and new Jihad groups are rising like a Phoenix from their annihilation in Iraq. Al Qaeda has begun a new terror bombing effort. Pakistan has at least 50 nukes and is at terribly risk of falling to the Taliban. Do you want a rookie with no experience, but a huge ego, or do you want a seasoned veteran with a worldwide reputation of reform and problem solving steering our ship of state? Our way of life depends on your decision.

[Great Big Pine Laundry Hold-up] Maybe someone can write a song about the laundry hold-up. Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about the Great Filling Station Hold-up. And Shel Silverstein wrote about the Great Conch Train Holdup.  http://www.buffettnews.com/resources/songs/?song=1

Deer Ed, It's great to have 2 Fridays in one week! Thanks for making sure I'm totally confused. At least that way I can relate and be among friends. Don't get a new calendar, that would really screw me up.



Can anyone tell me what type of cactus this is? It seemed to only flower for one day; or one day is all I saw.

Why cops quit. It’s not surprising how stupid people are. Video



Redneck boat trailer designed by Ike

The only proponents of evacuation are those that evacuate. The majority does not rule.




Homosexuals will become an extinct species when the Islamofascists take over. Key West will be depopulated.

[Hillary for VP] Sen. Linda Gray sent this email. Let me share some info with you that I have gotten from excellent  sources within the DNC: On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary. This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2. There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this info. Generally the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. I have already seen a few short blurbs about this. The "health problem" cited in those articles was aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings.  However, at this point, with this inside info from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, and thereby expose it for the grand manipulation that it is.





What if SS had been privatized? I sure wish that it had been because as of this morning the Dow is up 40 points in the past month, up 18% past 5 years and up 44% past 10 years. SS would have stood a great shot at becoming self-sustaining, not headed for bankruptcy like it is now. If you're under 50 now, you're screwed.

As if by magic the dolphin does a quick flip of its head and a silver ring appears in front of its pointed beak. The ring is a solid donut-shaped bubble about 2-ft across, yet it doesn't rise to the surface of the water! It stands upright in the water like a magic doorway to an unseen dimension. The dolphin then pulls a small silver donut from the larger one. Looking at the twisting ring for one last time a bite is taken from it, causing the small ring to collapse into thousands of tiny bubbles which head upward towards the water's surface. After a few moments the dolphin creates another ring to play with. Video





[More bar wisdom] Forbidden fruit is always in season.

[Thought for the day] Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply. If you give her  sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.  If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile,  she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So  - if you give her any crap, you will receive a ton of s**t.

In order to work I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don' t have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their arse, doing drugs, while I work. Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? Something has to  change in this country! 

[Hurricane Evacuation redux] A poster is convinced that Mommy Monroe is doing us wrong when she mandates evacuation.  He sees a plot. Can we all agree that evacuation is a pain in the ass? Evacuation costs money. Often because science can’t give dead accurate forecasts, it proves not to have been necessary. Can we agree that evacuation in the face of major storms saves countless lives? Can we agree that every one of us knew that we were moving to hurricane country and so, we are at risk. If you want to avoid getting killed by a hurricane or it’s aftermath, evacuate.  If you don’t like  living in filth and squalor after a hurricane hits, being without food or water or electricity or a roof, then you should evacuate and stay out until utilities are restored. Mommy Monroe didn’t make you move here, Mommy doesn’t owe you a local shelter, remember that Mommy  told you to leave. She doesn’t owe you a/c , food or comfies after the storm.  Mommy doesn’t owe you your own personal shelter.  The risk for injury or disease is at least as great immediately after the storm as it was in the storm, that’s yet another reason to require evacuation. C’mon Kiddies, grow up, Mommy Monroe didn’t take you to raise, she doesn’t have any obligation to repay your evac costs or building you a shelter.  If you want to be free of the inconvenience and cost of the storms, try living in Chicago, the home of the King of the Freebies. Come on poster, man up, take care of yourself, don’t be so…so Democratic, quit your whining.

Hurricane Ike. This could be us!

For those of you who still ruin a photo with the time and date spread across the image, if you right click on your image and click on properties you will see the date the picture was taken. This is true with all digital images. So stop ruining photos. Film is dead.





Check out this cake! Would you be able to eat it after laughing at it?

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Sunday September 21, 2008

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Friday September 20, 2008

[Hurricane Evacuation Plan] I’ve been whining for a quarter century about the misdirection evacuation has been. It is only a means to limit liability and increase development. Very few people evacuate. The Emergency people just won’t face that fact that most locals will never leave. If they were to face reality they would have required all new buildings to be cat 5 rated and all new homes to have a small cat 5 hurricane shelter. If we had started this years ago we probably would have enough shelters to hold those who won’t evacuate. There has never been a survey or accurate study conducted to find out just how many people stay. It’s not to Emergency Management’s advantage to conduct such a study because they would be forced to face reality. The only thing they really do is tell you to evacuate. That’s it! Additionally they should be looking out for the majority of us that don’t evacuate. They don't--they leave us to fend for ourselves.

We spent a lot of money widening US1 in order to comply with the State’s requirement that we be able to evacuate within 24 hours in order to continue development of the Keys. If we had spent that money on reimbursing all new construction to cat 5 standards for these last twenty five years, we would be well on our way to providing hurricane shelters for all of us. More lives would be saved. There always will be many people evacuating any way, so we wouldn’t need shelters for all residents.

In the 1950s the government paid for people to build bomb shelters. Why can’t they do that now? Why haven't they done that for the last 25 years? Why aren’t there rebates, etc for those of us who build hurricane shelters? Follow the money--hurricane evacuation is directly linked to development.

Democrats help people with Republicans money. When the Republican's money is all gone the well is dry. Socialist Democrats do not produce anything of value.They will not refill the well.









I certainly am re-thinking what it would be like if a strong CAT 2 or CAT 3 gave us a direct hit.  Check out these pictures from Ike. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of

Just imagine what could have happened if John McCain and President Bush were able to get their plan on privatizing social security passed. More people’s futures would be at risk while the CEOs fell into their golden parachutes. I am enjoying watching McCain spaz like a wacko. I mean he believes our financial institutions are doing just fine. On Mars I’m guessing.


The homophobes are making too big a thing because a boutique guest house allows only females. The Daughters of the American Revolution only allow females. I could go on, but what’s the use?
Never buy anything that eats or can sink.



The commercial fishermen will keep going until there is just one fish left. Then the recreational fishermen will hold a tournament to see who can catch it.

[The Bush Economy] McCain, four more years!

McCain is making these grandiose pronouncements of absolute cures for about every ill there is, one after another. He's sounding kookier and kookier.  I used to like him, but why do we have to wait until he’s elected to get Bin Laden?

[Downstairs enclosures] Many of those houses on the Texas coast were open below. They are gone. The ones that had lower enclosures are gone.  It was the force of the water and the magnitude of the surge that wiped the place clean. If someone wants a downstairs enclosure it should be the owners decision, not some bureaucrats'.






[Remember them everyday]  VFW FL Post 4729 - Key - National POW/MIA Recognition Day - Veterans of Foreign Wars Department Florida Big Pine Key Post
[Bright light-hurricane] I don’t think they were testing the lighthouse during a hurricane, so I’m going to have to disregard that explanation.


[Bright light during hurricane] It was the Hadron Super Collider firing up and burning a hole in the globe. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/the_large_hadron_collider.html

To insinuate that I would do something that is not what I think is in the best interest of Monroe County residents and to vote on something for an individual – even if that person is my best friend – I would have to say you don’t know me. If you don’t believe that, talk to David Rice, talk to my wife, talk to my close friends.

As for comparing me to Sonny and Ken Sorensen—This is a true story and was witnessed. Ken offered me the same deal he offered to Murray Nelson, Sonny and Dixie eight years ago to take the lead in a block vote which he said he could deliver. I told him the same thing I’m telling you, “I guess you don’t know me or you wouldn’t even ask.”

I was convinced by those who think air service will work for Marathon this time and that it is worth the shot. I also think it is fair for you to have your opinion that it may not. ~George Neugent 
Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel



[Ike Helps Uncover Mystery Shipwreck] Waves on Ala. beach reveal possible Civil War schooner. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5842269 

[Key Colony police force] Here is a hint. There are three private money communities that are well known. Key Colony Beach, Duck Key and Stirrup Key. Only one of the three have a full time security police agency, Key Colony. Just because you have a little money doesn't mean you need your own police force. Just because you can afford a Lamborghini doesn't mean you know how to drive it. Ocean Reef does not count, because it is easier to get onto the Navy Base than Ocean Reef. They are out of control up there so they just don't even count in this.

I look up to the MCSO and the State Troopers. I will look at them straight in the eye and speak to them every time. They are a good group that keep us safe. But man, Key Colon Beach PD? What were they thinking? Does the FDLE know that they exist?  I want to know how they can leave Key Colony Beach and hangout at the Circle K. Does that mean that the Key West Police can hangout while they are on duty at the Circle K on Rockland? They need to stay tucked away in the Keys Colon community so they are not seen or heard. That is a dent in the badge.




[NOW endorses Obama] 'Hillary's Women' Reject McCain's VP Choice | CommonDreams.org

[The Legend of the Arc and Noah]  Like most stories from ancient times I can believe there was an actual person and incident that was told and retold to become the story we recognize.  I know there's a lot of people who believe it word for word, and that is their choice to make. 


A Vietnam Veteran Fundraiser  is in the works for Saturday, December 13 at  The Good Food Conspiracy Health Food Store on Big Pine Key from 3-10 p.m. Raffle, live music, reflexology, massage. Bring a canned good for the local food pantry.

[Republicans help big business--Democrats help people.] Democrats help themselves at the expense of the people who work, then give what little is left over to those who don't. Republicans help themselves and the people who are successful. The successful people employ those who are willing to work. This keeps money in circulation. As far as those who don't want to work, I'll withhold my comments.


All this talk about raising taxes is fluff. I just read where the average person will pay almost nothing extra. All the fuss is republican lies. They are running scared because they have nothing new to offer.

It is always a wonder to me how two people looking at the same thing see two completely different things. To say that the Republicans have ruined the country should maybe think of the following: Republicans and democrats have been running the country since the Civil war. For the last two years democrats have had an actual majority in congress, and for the previous six years have had an large enough plurality to block bills.

Let’s consider some states that are completely democrat controlled. Michigan, the only state that is actually in a recession, as defined by economists. The new governor actually raised taxes (as Obama wants to). This resulted in a loss of revenue and jobs, which deepened their recession. New Jersey has an oppressive tax rate and is going broke. Newark looks like a war zone and jobless the rate is huge. Philadelphia has a higher murder rate than Iraq. These places have one thing in common, democratic leadership.

All of this proves that if you want disaster, vote democratic.




[Noah's Arc] I didn't know that Noah was French!

[If you build it they will come] That’s never applied to the Marathon airport.  It’s a good idea that the county is guaranteeing Cap Air’s income. But I don’t think having an airline only during the season is the way to build tourism in Marathon. What happens to the rest of the year, will there still be no air carrier there during the slow season?

Cape Air's flights will take you to Fort Meyers. Is that a major hub? Can we get anywhere from there? I’ve never been to that airport, or heard of it for that matter.


[No Name Key] Those guys deserve electricity. It would be patriotic to let them have power.

Limbaugh is flat wrong when he suggests that Obama is “elite”, the proper adjective is “effete”, i.e. : “having lost character, vitality, or strength, or soft or delicate from or as if from a pampered existence.”  Would you fly in a 747 that was piloted by a pilot who had never before piloted an airplane, but perhaps did study about it for a couple of years in ground school?  Would you have heart surgery under the knife of a surgeon who had never operated on any heart, but did study dermatology? If you were falsely charged with a murder, would you hire a lawyer who has only practiced law for 3 years and has never before been in trial?  Of course you wouldn’t.   It is downright scary that yesterday’s pro Obama poster wants the Government to decide what political views and discussion that you can hear or view on the public airways. Obama was a lecturer in law at Chicago. The New York Times reported he taught rights, race and gender. Other faculty members dreamed of tenured positions; he turned them down.

[Save the world] Kill all the lawyers, priests and politicians then worship the farmers





Late this week, early risers can catch the waning crescent Moon passing Regulus and newly-arriving Saturn.

1,121 Homeless people in Monroe County. 300 children. Group aims to raise awareness of homelessness | KeysNews.com


[Tramp stamps] Arschegeweih, or “ass antlers” in Germany, were popular in the 1990s. But now a herd of Germans are stampeding to get them removed as they and other tattoos go out of fashion.  Tattoo removal on the rise in Germany - The Local

Yes, it was a nice posting about Heather. Speaking of qualifications, let us take a look at Heather and the guy that beat Sonny McCoy. (Carlos Rojas) I believe Carlos holds a Master's degree, he owns and runs his own business, he is very familiar with building, planning and code enforcement, these are things he deals with everyday in his business.  Some of the BOCC meeting that I have seen, the developer's or their agents gets up in front of the Commissioner's and tells them out right lies and the general public does not know it is a lie unless you have studied the projects.  Does anyone know how much studing Spehar did?  Remember we still have the 19 story Safe Harbor Hotel, the two hotels that Mario and his developer friends are still wanting to put at the airport in Key West and Marathon.  Ed Swift and his affordable housing he wants to put on school grounds, the list goes on.  Land Development Reugulations are not something you pick up over night, that takes years to learn and know how LDR's build upon one another and are dependent on one another, I want someone in office that is well versered in this area and Carlos is the one that I will vote for because of his expertise with the LDR's. The developer's are not going to pull the wool over his eyes.  Neugent is good with budget items, so is Wigington. Murphy is great with Trauma Star, benefits for the staff,  and Murphy is great with the history of the Keys, she always votes down anything above 35 feet.







Today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day, Arrrrrrr you ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day? - St. Petersburg Times

[Sodom and Gomorrah] So you are telling me that the only reason for you or anyone to do good is the threat from your invisible sky god? What a pathetic little person you are. I do good on a daily basis without fearing your silly, vengeful Middle Eastern deity.

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.   ~Steven Weinberg





Redneck Wine Rack

It's amazing that everyone seems to think that the BPK Laundromat actually got robbed in broad daylight and no one saw anything! Word on the street is the crack head that works there robbed the place and made a BS story to cover her butt.   ~keyslife70@yahoo.com






[Back seat driver] Ex-Formula 1 driver takes his wife for a ride. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIhGJyLR6TI&eurl=http://boortz.com/more/video/driving_wife_crazy.html

I think there is more than one person talking about poor Heather's female-only guest house.  It is a shame that we have a candidate that does business with only females, that is a red flag to me and I am sure to other voters.  A county commissioner has to deal with families, men and woman and if she chooses to deal with only females, that is her privilege but, my privilege is not to vote for some one like that.  For the poster to call me or anyone else homophobic because we will exercise our privilege is out of line and off the target.




Pam and Warren Adams rebuilt their home in Galvaston in February 2006 after Hurricane Rita destroyed it the previous year. Hudspeth said that the couple hired a contractor to build a home that could withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Warren Adams watched over every step of the construction to make sure it was done correctly. Note: no downstairs enclosure.

Male priorities. Video

[Homeless] The only thing the state should provide for the homeless is toilets and showers. They don’t want anything else.

I was moved to write regarding the Carruthers smear campaign.  I perused her site after the link was posted here the other day looking for evidence of the man hating.  I particularly liked the page that had the man's face in the kitchen window. Now I loves me a man in the kitchen! 


A Turkish hotel has sacked all its male staff because they kept seducing older British women. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3012188.html?menu=news.quirkies

[Which team would you hire?] If you must know, team #2. McCain and Palin. Some of the smartest and successful people I've ever met don't hold a college degree . Political science? Politics isn't a science, it's a racket. I doubt anyone would argue that. And the last thing I want is an attorney in the White House. McCain doesn't need to use a computer any more than the owner of an airline needs to fly a jet. He's there to make decisions, not surf the web. I'm sure there are plenty of people who can look something up on line for him if he needs it.


A German shepherd saved his owner's life by calling the emergency services and barking down the line to raise the alarm. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3008917.html?menu=news.quirkies

Blaming Clinton for the current Fannie and Freddie may sound hackneyed to some, but the facts are the facts.  The record is replete with the misdeeds of Clinton appointees who are now major players in the Obama camp.  The  Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005 was an attempt by Bush strongly supported by legislation co-sponsored by McCain to reform Freddie and Fannie. Senator John McCain on May 25, 2006  in the Senate said: “Mr. President, this week Fannie Mae’s regulator reported that the company’s quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were “illusions deliberately and systematically created” by the company’s senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal” In urging passage of  the act McCain said “I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation.

If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.”.  McCain’s efforts were defeated by the Democrats in the Senate.  McCain’s words were prophetic and the result of the Democrat resistance to reform is manifestly obvious today.

[Children’s Beginning Ballet Classes] Do you have a child who loves to twirl around the house? Girls & boys ages 5 to 10 are invited to join a new Monday afternoon ballet class at the Marathon Recreation Center from 6 to 7 p.m. starting Monday September 29th. Your child will learn the fundamentals of ballet technique in a one hour class geared for those with no prior experience. Students need to be signed in by their parent at the beginning of class and picked up promptly at the end of class.

The instructor, Laura Fowler began dancing at age 3 in Central Florida and has taught ballet and modern dance to children ages 4 to 15. She has been trained in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz & kick line and has lived in the Keys for two years and works at Crane Point Museum & Nature Center as their Outreach Director. Bulletin Board
The only thing good about our economy's meltdown is that it has pushed Obama and McCain off the front page.

[Posted on the sheriff website] September 12, 2008 Big Pine Laundromat robbed. Sheriff's detectives are investigating reports of an armed robbery at a laundromat on Big Pine Key Thursday morning. According to an employee of the Big Pine Laundry, and a witness, just before 10 a.m. two suspects entered the business. One of them used an unknown type of tool to pry open the change machine while the other pointed a gun in the employee's face, demanding money. She handed over the money and both suspects left the building. They fled south down Key Deer Boulevard, toward U.S. One. One of them was reportedly riding a bicycle and the other was on foot. Both suspects were described as young white males, 14 - 16 years old between 5' 2" and 5' 4" tall. One had short, dark hair; the other had medium length blond hair with a short pony tail. Anyone with information about this case should contact the Sheriff’s Office or call Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous and may receive a reward if their information leads to an arrest. The Crime Stoppers hot line number is 1-800-346-TIPS

A 70 year old driver just got a ticket. He was so angry that he didn't realize he was in reverse when he tried to peel away. He ended up reversing into the police car and up onto it.
Heart Attack Grill